Deceptions
by Symee-Sama
Summary: COMPLETE! He'd said that he would kill her when they met, and now he would fulfill his promise, but it wouldn't be quick like a bullet to the head. No, that was too good for her. He would kill Relena a little bit at a time, and avenge Duo's death.
1. The Golden Light

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.. If I did, do you think I would be sitting here writing fanfics on it?  
  
Deception: Part 1  
  
The Golden Light  
  
Relena was tired of it. For years she had been the vice foreign minister, and she was sick of the endless responsibilities, and the debates. She had been a high-ranking government official since she was sixteen, and she hadn't been allowed to take a break since then. Whenever she planned an excursion, something would always come up. She was only twenty, but the colonies and the earth sphere still looked to her to make all there problems right. She sighed and slumped into a nearby chair. She scanned the luxurious new apartment that she had bought only a day ago. Correction. That her secretary had bought. Spacious and bright, Relena's apartment was filled with tasteful furniture and paintings. To be honest, Relena didn't care what her apartment looked like; she had let Dorothy furnish it. Her only request was that it had to have a nice comfortable bed.  
  
She slowly pushed herself out of the chair and went into the bedroom to change her clothes. She came out again a few minutes later in her casual clothes, and threw herself into a chair in front of the TV. She flicked through the channels absentmindedly, stopping at a news report. ".vicious threats against the Vice Foreign Minister were released to the press today. Apparently the writer plans to start yet another war. Similar threats have been occurring more frequently over the last few months, but the president of the ESUN assures everyone that the Vice Foreign Minister is well- protected, and there is no way that any of these terrible threats will come to pass. In other news."  
  
Relena turned off the TV, letting out another sigh, More threats? Hadn't they caught that crackpot yet? She wanted to laugh at the threats; no one could get through her security. It had been perfected not long after the Mariemaia incident. Right before Heero had disappeared. Again. Why did he keep running away? She tensed suddenly; there was a slight change in the air. "Jake?" She called; hoping it would be her bodyguard. "Jake is that you?"  
  
"No," came the cold reply. Relena gasped. He was here! She jumped up, searching for the voice.  
  
"Heero?" She scanned the apartment. Where was he? She heard something behind her, but before she could turn, a hand clamped over her mouth, and she felt cold steel on the side of her head. Relena struggled, trying desperately to free herself from her captor. She bit on his hand, and felt him stiffen, but the hand did not loosen from around her mouth. The barrel of the gun was pressed harder against her head. A quiet voice whispered in her ear.  
  
"I'm going to let you go now," the voice said without a hint of emotion. "If you scream, I will kill you. Do you understand?" Relena nodded, and was pushed roughly against the wall. A figure dressed in black loomed over her.  
  
"How did you get past the security system?" Relena asked tentatively. "It was supposed to be perfect." She was truly interested so she could improve her system if she escaped. No, when she escaped. "No one has beat it before." It was true. Her bodyguards enjoyed trying to beat the system, but despite their many attempts, no one had even got close to Relena.  
  
"It wasn't that hard." There was no pride in her captor's voice. "Your cameras cycle too slowly, and it was easy to stick to the shadows and avoid being seen. And your guards left your door to get some food, a little while ago. The biggest flaws in your system are human."  
  
"Maybe so," Relena said thoughtfully. "But you have made a fatal error. You didn't notice that I have a video camera. Right over there." She pointed. "You've been caught on tape, and there is no way you can escape." The figure turned to see what she was pointing at, and when he saw that there was no camera, he faced the wall again. But Relena wasn't there. He cursed under his breath as he sprinted after her.  
  
Relena ran towards the door. All she needed to do was reach the door, and her guards would protect her. She heard her captor running behind her. Just a few more steps. she nearly sighed with relief as she opened the door, and stepped out into the hallway. Only to be yanked back into the room. No! Her captor held her in front of him. He used her as a shield, as her bodyguards took aim, and placed his gun against her head.  
  
"Throw down your weapons," he ordered them and tightened his hold around her. They complied swiftly, destroying Relena's hope of rescue. The gun moved away from her head, and two shots rang out. The guards slumped to the floor, lifeless eyes staring accusingly at Relena.  
  
"No!" Relena yelled, and broke away from her captor. She didn't care if he killed her, she barely even registered him in her mind. All she could think about was the two dead guards. They had been her friends. Tears streamed down her face, and she reached out with trembling fingers and closed their eyes. Relena stood up, and faced her captor. "I hate you!"  
  
A fist slammed into her face, and she fell, reaching for something, anything, to keep her from falling. Her fingers grasped cloth, and she heard a rip as she fell. She had pulled off his mask. Relena groaned as she hit the hard floor, and gazed up at her attacker. Hard cobalt blue eyes stared back at her. "I thought you didn't hate anybody, Relena." Her attacker mocked as he pulled her up.  
  
"Heero," her voice trembled a little. "Why?"  
  
"A promise made long ago," came the gruff reply as Heero dragged an unresisting Relena, onto the balcony. "Hold on," he ordered as he picked her up, and jumped off the balcony. Relena screamed as they fell, and held Heero tightly. He groaned when they landed, nearly dropping her. It had been a hard impact. Limping slightly, he dragged Relena across the street, and forced her to get into the car. As they pulled away from the curb, Relena began to fully comprehend what Heero had said earlier.  
  
"A promise made long ago?" Relena shivered. She never thought this day would come. "You're going to kill me."  
  
Heero smirked. "No, but you'll wish I had in the end."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Relena woke up in a dingy cell. She heard guards laughing outside, laughing at her. The former Queen of the World at the mercy of the lowest guard. She shuddered, remembering how they had tried to rape her last night. Heero had stopped them before they had gotten too far. He confused her. He kidnapped her, took her to the slums of L1, and watched as the guards beat her, but wouldn't let them do something that would shame her more than anything else in the world? She didn't get it.  
  
The cell door opened, and Relena backed away from Heero as he entered. The door closed behind him, and he stood there, watching her with a small smirk on his face. Relena pushed herself into the farthest corner of the room, and gathered her courage. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Yuy?" She asked coldly when she could finally speak. If the formality stung, he didn't show it.  
  
"I've come to take you away." He stated blandly, and gestured towards the door. "This way Relena."  
  
"You've come to take me away?" Relena laughed. "What is this Heero? Kidnap me, and then rescue me again? It makes no sense."  
  
"I never said anything about rescue. You've been sold." Relena shook her head. She still didn't understand. "In the slums, you can sell almost anything. Including labour. You've been sold to a wealthy family on Earth."  
  
"So that's why you stopped them from raping me last night," Relena said dully. "You wanted to save me for whoever I got sold to."  
  
Heero felt a small pang of sympathy for her. She was right of course, she had always been able to understand whatever he was doing. But why was he doing this? He searched for the answer, but it didn't come. What was he doing? His hands trembled at his sides, and there was a sharp pain in his head. Where were they? What had he done to hurt her? He cried out and slumped to the floor. He held his head in his hands. What the hell was he doing?  
  
"Heero?" Relena reached for him, but he swatted her away. "Heero, are you okay?" Even after what he had done. Even after his harsh treatment of her, she could still forgive him. She always had been strong. "Talk to me Heero."  
  
He had hurt her, he had hit her. He had just sold her to be a slave in a wealthy family. What was wrong with him? If he had a grudge against her, he should have just killed her. Anything would be better than being a slave. "Omae o korusu."  
  
"Go ahead." Relena said calmly. "Please. Heero, go through with it this time." He flinched at the sadness in her voice. She really wanted to end it. He looked at her, and was scared by the desperation in her eyes. He looked at his trembling hands, what had he done?  
  
"I didn't mean for this to happen," his voice was shaky, as he reached out to grab her shoulders. "I never would have done this to you. I don't know why I did." Her eyes hardened, and she moved out of his grasp, and raised her hand. He felt a burning sensation on his face. She had slapped him.  
  
"I find that very hard to believe Heero," her hand was trembling. "You're the one who brought me here, you're the one who sold me, and now you expect me to believe that you didn't want this to happen?" Her eyes brimmed with tears that she wouldn't allow to fall. "I don't believe you didn't want this to happen. Just tell me why. Why did you do this to me Heero?"  
  
"You deserve punishment," he managed to say. His head was throbbing again. He had trouble focusing on what had to be said. He ignored the pain in his head, and looked at Relena. He saw tears streaming down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb, and pulled her into his lap, listening to her sob against his shoulder. "Please don't cry."  
  
"Why do I deserve this?" Relena asked through the tears. "What did I do Heero?"  
  
"I-I don't know," he said in shock. What had she done? It evaded him. She looked up at him in surprise. "I don't know what you did, but I know that you must be punished."  
  
"How can you not know?" Relena thought back on all the things she had done lately. "I don't think that I've done anything wrong."  
  
Heero frowned, and tried with all his might to think of why he had done this. Tried to think of what he had done lately, but he couldn't remember. There were holes in his memory, bright flashes of yellow light, which overwhelmed him if he tried to think too far back. //A good soldier does not dwell on memories.// A voice came through his head. What the hell was that?  
  
"I can't remember," Heero muttered to himself. "Holes in my memory. bright light.that voice.Zero!" He pushed her off his lap, and moved to a corner of the cell and huddled there. "Stay away from me! Zero's back!"  
  
"I don't understand," Relena said slowly, and tried to move towards him. He pushed her back. "Why should I stay away? Heero you're not making sense! First, you told me that I've been sold, and then you tell me that you don't want me to be sold. You say I deserve punishment, but you don't know why! Talk to me Heero! Tell me what is going on!" What confused Relena the most was that Heero was showing his emotions. They were there in his eyes, coming through in his voice, even in his facial expressions. This was a totally different Heero, from the one she knew. He would have never shown his emotions like this, he was acting normal when he entered her cell, but then he changed. "Please tell me what is going on."  
  
"I can't!" Heero pulled his legs towards him, and buried his face in his knees. "Cause I don't remember!" He thought back on the bright flashes of light. The scientists had told him that they were nothing. That they were the after-effects of the Zero system, and that because he had used the system so much, that he would have them for the rest of his life. They had told him that the images weren't real, and that he should ignore them. And now, for the first time, he tried to remember them.  
  
The bright flashes hurt his head, but he ignored the pain. He'd had much worse during the war. Images and scenes, came back to him, and he sat passively, replaying them in his head. He killed often in these scenes, men, women, children, he killed them all. He'd destroyed an air manufacturing plants on a colony, and had laughed as they suffocated. He had killed hundreds in the last two years, but the memories kept coming. Showing more deaths, more violence. Some of them pleaded for their lives, others stayed silent, their eyes silently asking why he was doing this. Why had he done this?  
  
He saw himself in Relena's apartment, threatening her, hurting her. He saw himself shooting the two guards. Heard her scream at him, "I hate you!" Felt his fist slam into her face. "Heero," He heard her voice tremble a bit. "Why?" He saw her crying, as some guards beat her, saw himself looking on impassively as they hurt the woman that he loved. He saw them attempting to rape her, and him stopping them, only because he didn't want the guards to get in trouble. He hadn't cared what happened to her at all. He saw himself as he entered the cell this morning, and saw him smile when she backed away. He'd been happy when she was afraid of him! "To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Yuy?"  
  
"Heero?" He snapped out of his reverie. Relena peered at him concern in her eyes. "Heero, what's wrong?" She reached out to touch his face, but he flinched away. What had he done? She reached again, and put her hand on his cheek. "Please tell me what's wrong."  
  
"I hurt you," he said quietly. "I promised to protect you, and I hurt you. I didn't want to kill. I killed Mariemaia, and she was supposed to be the last one." He broke off unable to go on.  
  
"Heero." Relena said quietly, and he looked into her eyes, taking strength from them, from her. "You don't have to go on." She didn't care about anything right now, she didn't care that he had kidnapped her, and that he had hurt her. All she knew was that he was hurting, and when he hurt, it tore her up inside. "It's okay, you probably have a good reason for everything you've done to me."  
  
"I don't," he grabbed her wrist, and pulled her hand away from his face. "I don't have a reason for any of the things I've done. I've killed hundreds. Not just men, but women and children too! I laughed at them when they begged for their lives, laughed when they cried because I had killed their children."  
  
Relena's eyes widened in shock. "This isn't true." Her eyes pleaded with his, wanting desperately for him to say that it wasn't, that it was just another game. "You said you didn't want to kill anymore! Please tell me this isn't true." She didn't realise that she was backing away from him until her back hit the wall of her cell. He looked up at her, and she knew that he hadn't been lying. He had killed all those people.  
  
"Tell me Relena," Heero's voice was full of guilt. "Did I scare you when I came into the cell?"  
  
"Yes," she admitted. "But what does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"I enjoyed it," Heero shuddered. "I was glad that you were scared of me. I thought.I thought that it was about time that you showed some fear." Relena closed her eyes, hugging herself. As if doing so would block out what he was saying, stop the hurtful words from coming out of his mouth. "I thrived on the fear, all of it. I. I was the one who destroyed the air manufacturing plant on that colony. I can't even remember its name."  
  
Relena's mouth dropped. "You did that?" she looked at the floor. "You were behind the massacre at L3?" He nodded. "Heero. I can't forgive you for that. I could forgive you for hurting me, but killing an entire colony. there was over three thousand people living there! Why would you do all this?"  
  
"I don't know!" Heero lifted her chin, and looked into her eyes. "I wouldn't do something like that! I would never hurt anyone after Mariemaia was shot. I couldn't bear to!"  
  
"You hurt me."  
  
"That wasn't me that hurt you." He said, stating the impossible, and expecting her to believe him without question. "I'll say I'm sorry if you want, but it wasn't me. I swear it."  
  
"I think I'd know if it was you, Heero Yuy. I was there, remember?" Her eyes hardened. "It was you, and saying that you're sorry won't change what you did."  
  
"It wasn't me." Heero persisted, he reached out a hand to her, but she didn't take it.. "All those things. the murders, your kidnapping. I never wanted to do them! Something's happening to me. I don't understand." He let his hand drop. "I don't understand. I don't even know why I brought you here, you didn't do anything."  
  
//But she did.// Yellow light seemed to fill the room, and surround him. //Let me show you. Let me show you what she did.// Heero nodded, and the cell disappeared, and becoming a public square, filled with people. A firing squad stood in front of a platform with a young boy tied to a post on it. Purple eyes, brown hair, cut raggedly. He used to have a braid, but it had been cut off when they caught him. "Duo!" Heero screamed, but the no one paid any attention to him. //You can't change a memory, just sit back and watch.// "But it's an execution!" Heero yelled. "Duo's going to die!" //Yes. You can't change that, but you can get revenge. Look for her.//  
  
Heero scanned the crowd desperately for Relena. She could put a stop to this. He cried out when he spotted her, and ran to her side. "Relena," he said desperately. "You gotta help me stop them." But Relena ignored him. She walked onto the platform and strode towards a soldier. Heero followed, invisible to both of them.  
  
"Make it painful," she whispered to him, and smiled as he changed the orders to his soldiers. She turned to address the crowd. "People of the Sanc Kingdom! This man was a gundam pilot in the war. He killed thousands of people. How many of you lost family and friends to the gundams?" The replies were deafening. Heero covered his ears with his hands. Anything to shut out that horrible crowd.  
  
"This one," Relena pointed at Duo. "Called himself 'Shinigami', the God of Death. He enjoyed the killing, enjoyed murdering, and fighting."  
  
"That's not true!" Duo yelled at Relena. "I didn't have any choice. Most of the people I killed were trying to kill me, but I remember every single person I killed! Every single one!"  
  
"Liar!" Relena accused him, and the crowd roared in approval. "You didn't have to kill, but you did because you enjoyed it. Don't lie to us Duo. There's no point in lying now."  
  
"I didn't lie," Duo countered. "I'm Duo Maxwell, and I may run, and I may hide, but I never tell a lie!"  
  
"I've had enough of this. Fire!" Relena yelled. Seven shots were heard, and Duo jerked as the bullets entered his body. They all landed in different places, prolonging the death. Heero waited for someone to shoot Duo in the heart, and end his pain, but no one came. The crowd was deafening as they all watched him slowly bleed to death. Duo gasped with pain, and would have collapsed if he hadn't been tied in place.  
  
"No!" Heero screamed, and his mind was filled with a golden haze. "Why Relena?" He sank to his knees., and watched helplessly as his best friend bled for the cheering crowd. The minutes passed, and everyone seemed like an eternity to Heero. "Why?" He asked again as Duo gasped, and spasmed. His head fell to his chest, and he died, still standing because he was tied to the post, his violet eyes lifeless. "DUO!"  
  
//Do you see? Do you see why she needs to be punished?// Heero nodded. "But not by being sold. I'll kill her, but I won't sell her." //But that's what she wants you to do.// "What?"  
  
The world disappeared, and he saw himself in her cell. His hands trembling. "Omae o korosu" And her calm acceptance of what he had just said. "Go ahead." He heard Relena say. "Please. Heero, go through with it this time."  
  
//You see? She wants to die. So how can you punish her?//  
  
"I don't know," Heero said dully. "I don't want to punish her. I don't want to hurt her."  
  
//Why?//  
  
"I love her."  
  
//You can't love, you aren't capable of loving anyone. You're the Perfect Soldier, and you're not allowed to love.//  
  
"I don't want to be!" Heero screamed. "I want the right to live like a human! I don't want to be the 'Perfect Soldier' anymore!" He continued on in a quieter voice. "I went away. I followed my emotions, and I learned how to be a human. I learned how to feel. I don't want to be the Perfect Soldier."  
  
//You don't have to be. Just one more mission, and it will be over. One more mission, and you can live a normal and happy life.//  
  
"Only one," Heero was shocked. "Is that a promise?"  
  
//Would I lie?//  
  
Heero closed his eyes. "Please Zero, guide me." And as he surrendered to the golden light, the smooth reassuring voice began to laugh.  
  
Author's Note: Okay. This is my first fanfic, but I'm not going to ask you to go easy on me. Actually I want you to say anything that will help me to improve my story. Please Review. Thanx! 


	2. The Experiment

Deceptions Part 2: The Experiment  
  
Author's Note: Hey! Okay, I'm finally back with my second chapter! I would've had it out sooner, but I'm in the middle of exams, *exasperated sigh*. well what can you do? Anyways, thanks to the people who reviewed. I honestly didn't expect to get any. And to answer some of your questions.  
  
Threnody: Yeah I know that I didn't explain why Heero could hear Zero while not in his Gundam, more on that in this chapter, and Mariemaia didn't technically die. But Heero "killed" her, and then said that he wouldn't have to kill anymore, so I used the "kill" because it sounded better than "hurt".  
  
Animechick2487: Yes, in this fanfic, Zero is evil, and about Duo.. *Grins evilly* You'll just have to read to find out!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I will never *sob* own Gundam Wing.  
  
  
  
Red and blue lights flashed. Police sirens cut through the night, and shouts filled the usually quiet urban area. People milled around a small apartment building, what had happened? Two stretchers were wheeled out of the building, the bodies covered with bloody sheets. A man with platinum blond hair stalked angrily through the crowd, rudely pushing people out of the way. She was gone!  
  
Zechs Marquise muttered curses under his breath. He had always been afraid that this would happen. That the precautions that they had taken wouldn't be enough. That she would be taken away from him. He had always known that this might happen, but he hadn't expected that it would happen so soon. Who could've done this? Zechs growled at a passing police officer, causing the man to shrink back in fear. Who could have made it past the security system that was practically perfect?  
  
He walked quickly up the flights of stairs to Relena's apartment, and opened the door, stepping over the bloodstains in the carpet. He walked quickly over to the window, and ran his hands over the wall. Where was it? His fingers ran over a small crack in the wall, and he smiled to himself. Found it. He pulled out a small knife and placed it in the crack, leaning on it slightly.  
  
"Alright," Zechs said to himself as the door to a hidden alcove appeared. "Let's see what happened to you Relena." He reached inside the alcove, and reached around the hidden video camera that Relena had insisted be placed in her room, and pressed a button. A disk popped out of the camera, and Zechs palmed it. "Maybe this will answer my questions." He held the disk carefully in one hand as he closed the door, and smoothed the wallpaper over with the other, so that the crack almost became invisible.  
  
He walked over to Relena's laptop, and turned it on. He tapped his fingers impatiently, as he waited for the laptop to load. "Finally," he muttered as the welcome screen appeared, and asked him for his password. He entered it quickly, and when his password was approved, he inserted the disk into the laptop, and began to skim through the video. There! Zechs slowed the tape to a normal speed, as Relena appeared on the screen. She walked past the camera and flopped down on a chair, turning on her TV. Zechs sped up the tape, and watched as she got up, and went into her bedroom.  
  
She emerged a few moments later in casual wear, and sat down watching the TV again. Zechs watched patiently for a few minutes, but after awhile, he began to get frustrated. When was something going to happen? He saw a flash of black on the video, and he slowed it down. Relena was looking around the room, as if she was looking for someone. Her back was to the camera. Zechs saw a figure dressed in black coming up behind her, and saw her tense suddenly. Run Relena! He wanted to scream at her, his hands were clenched tightly into fists.  
  
The figure whipped out a gun, and held it to Relena's head, his hand covering her mouth so she couldn't scream. He seemed to say something to her. Relena nodded slightly, and was released, and then shoved against the wall. She talked with her captor for few minutes before pointing behind him. Directly at the camera. Good girl Relena! Zechs thought, now we can see what this bastard looks like. The figure turned to face the camera, and Zechs cursed. He was wearing a mask! Zechs smirked as Relena ran for the door, nearly making it before she was yanked back into the room, and grimaced when the figure shot her two bodyguards.  
  
Relena knelt beside them before turning back to face her captor. She screamed at him, and he punched her. Zechs fists clenched. The bastard dared to harm his little sister! He couldn't wait until the bastard was caught. Zechs watched as Relena fell, and saw her pull off her captor's mask. Relena faltered for a second, and then her captor grabbed her and pulled her towards the window, bringing him face to face with the camera.  
  
"Yuy!" Zechs eyes bulged as he yelled at the screen. "You bastard!" Zechs grabbed the laptop, and stalked out of the room. As he walked down the stairs he pulled out a small vid-phone, and pushed a button. "Noin?" He said barely controlling his anger as her face appeared on the screen. "We have a problem, call the pilots."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Doctor J peered intently at the readings on the computer screen in front of him. He almost sighed with relief when he saw a change in subject's brainwaves. They had been working on their new experiment for almost a year now, and they had almost lost everything in the last five minutes. Damn that girl! He thought irritably. She ruins everything! He clacked the fingers of his mechanical arm together angrily. But there was no need to worry about her any more. The problem had been fixed. He heard footsteps behind him, and turned to face the intruder, finding himself, face to face with Professor G. "Subject 01 has become stable once more." Doctor J reported.  
  
"Amazing," Professor G said briskly. "How did you do it?"  
  
"I increased the frequency of the Zero system." Doctor J said with pride. "I forced the subject to see some of the false memories we made for him."  
  
"He believes that the girl killed Duo, then?" Professor G smirked when Doctor J nodded. "Those memories must have seemed very real for him to believe that an advocate of Pacifism would kill one of her own friends."  
  
"They were perfect," Doctor J affirmed. "And when the subject removes the girl from the picture. He will be the perfect soldier once more."  
  
"A year's worth of experimenting, almost ruined by a mere girl," Professor G frowned. "You do realise, that after Heero regained his memories. That he would come after us." The doctor nodded. Of course Heero would, they all knew the risk of doing this. All the scientists had agreed that Heero would be the best subject for their experiments. He had the least obligations, and would be the last to be missed. But they had never realised how easy it would be to take him.  
  
All they had done was mention that the Vice-Foreign Minister was in danger, and they had information about an attempt on her life. Heero had been suspicious, but had agreed to come, and had been knocked out by Master O the instant he stepped through the door. Then Heero had been kept drugged and unconscious until the operation had been finished, and it had been determined that the implant was working. From then on it had been simple. He followed their orders, and wasn't affected by anything. Except for her.  
  
Doctor J had wanted a perfect soldier, and to get one he only had to do one thing. Remove all distractions. He smiled inwardly. After today, Relena Darlian would be out of their way forever, and they would finally have what they wanted. The perfect soldier, who didn't care about his life or the lives of others. Heero had come very far, Doctor J admitted. He had fulfilled his missions perfectly, had killed everyone without caring. But Heero still had a major flaw; all he had to do was see Relena, or hear her name, and he'd fall apart. He would not only show his emotions, he would be completely overrun by them. It had happened today. Heero would have broken free of their control completely if they hadn't increased the frequency of the Zero system. But that was in the past. Heero was without emotions once more, and once he completed his mission, once Relena was out of their way, they would have their perfect soldier.  
  
* * * * *  
  
To say Relena was confused would be an understatement. She would never understand Heero. First he comes in and is the cold, emotionless perfect soldier. He tells her that she has been sold, but then she thought that he might have pitied her for a moment. Then the change came. It was as if a dam had burst and all his emotions had come to the surface. He had been remorseful, and scared of what the future held. Relena closed her eyes, and allowed herself to drift back to what had happened in the cell.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The cell was silent for a moment as Relena processed what Heero had just said. He had apologised to her, but had also said that it wasn't his fault. That he had no control over his own actions. How gullible did he think she was?  
  
"I think I'd know if it was you, Heero Yuy. I was there, remember?" Relena's eyes hardened. "It was you, and saying that you're sorry won't change what you did." Of all the nerve! Of course it was him!  
  
"It wasn't me." Heero persisted, reaching a hand to her, but Relena refused to take it. "All those things. the murders, your kidnapping. I never wanted to do them! Something's happening to me. I don't understand." His hand dropped, and Relena felt his pain, she wanted to reach out, to ease his suffering, but controlled herself and held her hands stiffly at her sides. She refused to give in to his inane lies! She forced herself to listen to him again, but refused to look in his eyes, because she knew she would lose herself in them. ".brought you here, you didn't do anything."  
  
She looked up at his words, surprised by his admission, and saw that he wasn't looking at her anymore, he was just staring into space. Relena snapped her fingers in front his eyes, but he didn't blink. He just nodded slightly, and he closed his eyes, leaning his head against the wall of her cell. What was wrong with him?  
  
"Can you hear me Heero?" Relena tentatively, and reached out to touch him on the arm. She shook him gently. "Heero?" He flinched at her touch, and his eyes went wide with shock. He screamed Duo's name suddenly, and Relena pulled back her hand. What was going on? "Duo's not here." She said gently.  
  
"But it's an execution!" Heero yelled at her. "Duo's going to die!"  
  
"What are you seeing?" Relena was confused. She brushed his bangs to the side of his face, and looked into his eyes. "Duo's not here, he's not going to die!" Heero ignored her for a moment, looking through her. Then his eyes widened, and he reached for her.  
  
"Relena," he said desperately reaching for her. She took his hand, and gripped it tightly. What was he seeing? His eyes focused on hers, and his grip tightened. Relena gasped, and tried to pull her hand away. "You gotta help me stop them."  
  
"Stop who?" Relena tried to pull her hand away from Heero's. Her face contorted in pain. "Let go of me Heero!" His grip tightened once more, and she cried out in pain. "Damn it Heero! Let go!" She clawed at his hands, but he didn't seem to notice. She screamed at him again, and dug her nails into the backs of his hands until she drew blood, but he still didn't register the pain. The blood flowed down his hands, and over hers. Desperately, she brought back her free arm, and hit him as hard as she could on the face. Anything to make him let go!  
  
Heero let out a moan, and released Relena's hand. She rubbed it slowly, and flinched when he moved suddenly, and covered his ears with his bloodied hands. He closed his eyes, trembling slightly. He was hurting, and she wanted to do something, but was afraid to move closer to him. What if he grabbed her again?  
  
"No! Why Relena?" Heero sank to his knees, and stared at something that no one else could see. The minutes passed, and every one seemed like an eternity to Relena. "Why?" He asked again, his eyes wide in horror and disgust. "DUO!" He yelled, and his expression became angry. He was silent for a moment, his head cocked to one side as if he was listening to someone, and then he nodded. "But not by being sold. I'll kill her, but I won't sell her." He was silent again as he listened. "What?"  
  
"Go ahead," Relena said. "Kill me. I'd rather die than become a slave for some rich family. I want you to, so why won't you kill me?"  
  
"I don't know," Heero said dully. "I don't want to punish her. I don't want to hurt her."  
  
Her? Relena was confused for a moment, but came to her conclusions quickly. Heero didn't want to kill her, he didn't want to hurt her. But didn't he understand that she would be hurt more by living right now? She needed to know why he wouldn't kill her. She could draw her own conclusions as much as she wanted, but she still needed to hear it from him. "Why are you afraid to hurt me?" She asked in a quiet voice.  
  
Heero looked into her eyes. "I love her."  
  
Relena was shocked. Heero loved her? For years, she had loved him, but she had only dreamed that he loved her in return. "Heero." She began gently. "You told me before that you would never love me. You told me that you didn't know how to love. That you were the Perfect Soldier."  
  
"I don't want to be!" Heero screamed at her. "I want the right to live like a human! I don't want to be the 'Perfect Soldier' anymore!" He continued on in a quieter voice. "I went away. I followed my emotions, and I learned how to be a human. I learned how to feel. I don't want to be the Perfect Soldier."  
  
"Then why did you do all this?" Relena was so confused. "This is something that the Perfect Soldier would do! If you loved me, truly loved me, then you wouldn't have kidnapped me! You wouldn't have watched the guards beat me. You wouldn't - you wouldn't hurt me so much." A tear ran down her cheek. "I don't understand what-"  
  
"Only one," Heero interrupted in a shocked voice. "Is that a promise?" What the hell? Relena thought as Heero closed his eyes. "Please Zero, guide me." He whispered, and Relena finally understood. He had been talking to Zero somehow. That's what he had meant when he had said that Zero had returned. But Wing Zero had been destroyed, and the Zero system along with it. It was impossible that it could come back.  
  
She was so lost in thought, that she didn't realise that Heero had opened his eyes until his hands were wrapped around her neck. She panicked, and began to struggle. He was choking her! "What did you do?" All the emotion that had been in Heero's voice was gone, and when Relena didn't answer right away, he growled, tightening his grip on her throat. She looked into his eyes, and shuddered when she saw that his eyes had changed. Instead of their usual deep blue, they were red, and she struggled even harder to get out of his grasp.  
  
"Why am I bleeding?" He growled, and pushed her against the wall, his grip tightened even more. Relena clawed at his already wounded hands, trying to escape. Black spots appeared in front of her eyes, and the cell seemed to spin. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and blackness threatened to claim her. She still struggled weakly, her eyes pleading with his. Asking him not to do this. Heero smirked at her, and released her, suddenly. "What's wrong Princess?" He mocked. "I thought you wanted to die."  
  
Relena fell to the ground when he released her, gasping for breath. Why was he so cold? He was scaring her again. "I- I guess I lied," she rasped. "Why Heero?" He reached for her, and Relena panicked. What was he going to do now? He pulled her to her feet roughly, and pushed her against the wall again.  
  
"You didn't answer my question," He stated calmly as he idly traced the bruises that were beginning to appear on her neck with one hand. "Are we going to have to do this again?" Relena wanted to scream. He had said that he loved her, only a few minutes ago. No. He had said that he loved 'her', he hadn't mentioned anyone specifically. Relena mentally scolded herself for believing something so stupid. Of course he meant someone else. "No," Relena said softly.  
  
"What was that?" Heero's eyes narrowed.  
  
"You don't love me," she said, hoping with all her heart that he would prove her wrong. "You never did love me, not like I loved you."  
  
Heero laughed at her. "Of course I didn't. Even if I did let my emotions control me, why would I ever love someone like you? Why would anyone ever love you?" He paused for a moment, as if he was waiting for a reply, but Relena remained silent. "You were an annoyance. Following me around like a stupid puppy, I could never get a moment to myself." Heero paused and thought about what Relena had done to Duo. "Why would I ever love someone like you?" He repeated quietly, and she noticed that his eyes were blue once more.  
  
Tears welled up in Relena's eyes. "I was only an annoyance? But.but I thought." She broke down, and closed her eyes and the tears ran down her cheeks. "But you protected me." She managed to say. "You risked your life to save mine so many times. I thought that-"  
  
"You thought what?" Heero sneered at her, wanting to hurt her like she had hurt him. "That I had feelings for you? That I wanted to be with you? You were a mission, nothing more." He nearly smiled at the hurt expression on her face. "And now the mission has changed." He put more pressure on her throat. "Now," he said in a conversational tone. "Why are my hands bleeding?"  
  
"You grabbed my hand.you were hurting me. I tried to make you let go." Relena trembled slightly. He didn't care. He had never cared. She wanted to scream. He had never cared! Heero released her, and she leaned back against the wall. What was going on? Heero glanced at his bleeding hands, and grabbed Relena, dragging her out of the cell. "Where are we going?" Relena managed to ask.  
  
"We are not going anywhere," Heero growled as he pulled her along. "You are going to Earth." They were practically running down the halls. Relena stopped, and Heero frowned, trying to pull her along.  
  
"I can't run anymore," Relena gasped, and leaned against a wall. "You're an idiot Heero. Less than five minutes ago, you were choking the life out of me, and now you want me to run to the damn shuttle? I can't. I won't" She didn't flinch as Heero whipped out his gun, and held it against her head. "Careful Heero," She mocked. "If you kill me, you'll fail your mission."  
  
"Move," Heero growled, his finger tightening on the trigger. But Relena shook her head. Grimacing slightly, Heero turned away from her, and knelt on the floor. Relena waited for him to do something, but he remained motionless.  
  
"What are you doing?" She asked in an exasperated tone. She was being rude, and she knew it, but why should she mind her manners for someone who didn't care about her in the slightest? He motioned silently for her to get on his back. Relena shook her head, she was going to make this as difficult for him as possible. Heero got up, and faced her. "You're not making this easy," He glared at her.  
  
"Did you expect me to?" She met his glare with one of her own. "You're selling me, remember? You can't honestly expect me to rush to this shuttle." Heero didn't answer instead he grabbed her arm, and picked her up. "Put me down!" She screeched as Heero set off at a run towards the hangar. He reached it within a few minutes, and ran over to the only shuttle in the hangar. He put her down roughly.  
  
"Have a good flight Princess," he smirked as he shoved her into the arms of her cell guards, and then he was gone.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Tears ran down Relena's cheeks as she thought of what had happened. She wiped them away, not wanting to cry in front of her guards, but they still came. Why couldn't she let it go? It was over, any hope she had was gone. Heero wouldn't be there to protect her this time. He had always been like her knight in shining armour, a prince of the stars, who would protect her from harm. But not anymore. That image had been destroyed forever.  
  
Why would I ever love someone like you? Relena buried her face in her hands, trying to block out his harsh words. It couldn't have been him. He can't have meant that. She told herself, but his words still echoed through her mind. You were a mission, nothing more.  
  
  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Was it Good? Bad? A total waste of time and effort? Please tell me! 


	3. The Mission

Deceptions Part 3: The Mission  
  
Author's Note: Exams are over! I'm finally free! Well, until Friday anyways. Thanks a lot to the people who reviewed, I hope that I got this chapter out a bit faster than the last one. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, I just like to torment the characters from it.  
  
The room was silent as everyone in it stared at a small television screen. Images flashed on the screen that conflicted with their opinions, and most of them had small frowns on their faces as they watched the video. The screen went black as the tape finished, and the lights were turned on. "So," Zechs glared at those assembled in the small boardroom, daring one of them to disagree with him. "Do you all agree with the evidence?"  
  
"It is hard to refute," Wufei said sardonically. "Considering that he was caught on tape, yet I still have my doubts." The Chinese man scowled inwardly. Heero you idiot. Why did you do this? Wufei was not close to the Vice Foreign Minister by any means, he found her annoying, and feminine. But he did not want to see her get hurt. He was supposed to help protect her, so why hadn't he? Why hadn't he tried harder, why hadn't he put more attention into his work? He had lost her. His hands clenched into fists. He had lost her, just like he had lost Meiran.  
  
Another thing that bothered him was the fact that Heero had been the one to kidnap her. The Heero that Wufei had known would never have intentionally hurt Relena, but on the tape that Zechs had, he punched her. Wufei hadn't seen Heero in about a year, and wondered what happened to him. What had caused him to change? Maybe he hadn't known Heero as well as he thought he did.  
  
Wufei's thoughts were interrupted as Duo burst through the door. "Sorry I'm late," the braided pilot said breathlessly. "Did I miss anything?" Wufei snorted in disgust and turned to look out the window.  
  
"Heero's taken Relena," Quatre said quietly to Duo, trying to break the news gently. Duo smirked, surprising everyone there. Quatre walked up to Duo. "Don't you understand? Heero's kidnapped Relena." The grin fell off Duo's face, and he glanced around at the other pilots, seeing confirmation in their eyes.  
  
"Oh man," He groaned, unwilling to believe it. "Are you sure that they didn't just elope or something?"  
  
"You idiot!" Zechs launched himself at Duo, and grabbed his shirt, lifting him off the ground until his toes barely touched. "That- that bastard has kidnapped my sister! He's hurt my sister! And you're making jokes?"  
  
"Come off it Zechs!" Duo tried to free himself from Zechs' grip. "I'm sure Relena's safe with Heero. He promised to protect her, remember? He wouldn't hurt her." Zechs tightened his grip on Duo's shirt. "Uh, you can put me down anytime now."  
  
"Let him go," Trowa said softly. "He's just as shocked as the rest of us. Joking around is just his way of dealing with his shock."  
  
"And everything else that bothers him," Wufei looked away from the window and turned to face Zechs. "So what can we do to help Relena?" Zechs was silent for a moment as his anger faded, and he focused on his sister again. He let go of Duo, and felt a small tinge of satisfaction as the braided pilot fell to the floor. He turned, and looked at the other pilots.  
  
"Wufei, I want you to go back to the Preventers Headquarters, and show this tape to Lady Une. Let her handle the press, and then I want you to go to your new job at the base on L3. Just like you were going to before this all happened. That goes for the rest of you too. Keep your eyes open for suspicious behaviour, but other than that act like nothing has happened."  
  
"What!" Quatre stood up, frustration evident on his face. "We're supposed to do nothing, but wait?" His hands clenched into fists. "I can't just do nothing!"  
  
"We have no information other than the fact that Heero is the one that kidnapped her." Zechs growled at Quatre, who met him glare for glare. "We'll release that information to the media, and as soon as we have a lead, I'll call you. We have nothing that we can do but wait, and I don't like it anymore than you do." He said and after glaring at Quatre for a few more seconds, he turned his back to the pilots, and stalked out the door.  
  
"Man," Duo said grumpily as he got up from the floor. "What's up his butt?" He looked up, and saw that all the other pilots were glaring at him. "What?"  
  
"You're an idiot, Maxwell." Wufei sneered at Duo. "Don't you understand? Relena's been kidnapped by Heero."  
  
"Aw, come off it." Duo scoffed. "Don't tell me that you actually believe what Zechs said. Heero wouldn't hurt Relena. Zechs just holds a huge grudge against Heero because he lost the fight on Libra."  
  
"There's proof Maxwell," Wufei cut in angrily, and pointed at the small television. "There's plenty of proof, and if you had been here on time, you would've seen that Zechs was telling the truth!" He turned to face Trowa, and Quatre. "Keep your eyes open, and contact me if you find anything." He ordered them as he walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him.  
  
Duo made a face at Wufei's back, and then turned to face Trowa and Quatre. "C'mon guys," He pleaded. "You don't believe that do you? You don't honestly believe that Heero did that, do you?"  
  
"Watch the tape Duo," Quatre sighed, and walked out of the room, Trowa following him. "Well fine then," Duo said angrily. "I will. I'll watch it, but I still won't believe that Heero is responsible for this." He slammed the door after Quatre and Trowa were gone, and then sat down in front of the television, and turned it on. His eyes growing wide as he watched Relena's kidnapping. When the tape ended, he turned off the TV, and just sat on the floor, thinking about what he had just seen. "Damnit Heero, what have you done?"  
  
* * * * *  
  
Heero was typing furiously at his laptop, the click of the keys echoing softly in the small hotel room. The room was dark except for the light from his computer screen, but that was fine with Heero. He liked the dark. It was more comforting, and easier to hide in. He finished covering his trail, by erasing all information of his recent travels to L1. His record now stated that he hadn't been to L1 in months, and was at the present time, living happily on the Earth. He exited the Preventor Database, and broke the connection with the L3 server.  
  
I have nothing to worry about, he thought as he walked over to the bed. As he lay down on his back, and folded his arms behind his head, a small smile graced his lips. No one would be able to tell that any changes were made to his record. He slowly drifted off to sleep, wondering what his next mission would be. A small beep reached his ears, and his eyes snapped open. He jumped up, almost running to the computer.  
  
A new mission. Infiltrate the Preventors Base on L3, and demolish it. Heero smiled, this would be an easy mission. Security in the Preventors was too lax. There were no security checks, no metal detectors, they didn't even use ID cards. All Heero had to do was wear the uniform he had stolen, and he could walk through the front door. Yes, this would be an easy mission. His last mission. He changed into the uniform quickly, ignoring his discomfort at the heavily starched material, and grabbed a small black duffel bag as he walked out his door, and into the streets of the colony.  
  
He blended in with the crowd easily, walking quickly, dodging businessmen, and to the eyes of the people he passed, he was just a low-level officer for the Preventors who was heading to work. He kept his eyes down as he walked past the electronic billboards, hoping that no one recognised him. His face flashed upon dozens of screens, along with bold black letters. "Wanted: Heero Yuy for the kidnapping of Vice Foreign Minister Darlian. Reward offered." He smirked slightly. As if any of these witless civilians could really capture him. It was laughable. Relena's smiling face appeared on the screen, and Heero felt his chest tighten, making it hard to breathe. She was so beautiful.  
  
No! He told himself as he stumbled into deserted alley so he could get a hold of himself. She's not! She's a terrible person! Think of what she did to Duo! She killed him! And not only that, she made it as painful as she possibly could!  
  
But she loved you - The unwanted thought came to Heero's mind, and he shook his head violently, trying to deny it - and you loved her. You took the only woman that you ever loved, and you sold her to a disgusting pig, who is going to. Heero retched at the thought of what waited for Relena on Earth. What had he done? He had loved this woman, and she had loved him.  
  
//She never loved you.// The golden light surrounded him once more. //Don't you remember?// Heero shook his head. Of course she loved him, she had said so before. She wouldn't say so unless she meant it. She wouldn't lie. //Wouldn't she?// The smooth voice hissed. //You thought that she wouldn't kill anyone, but she killed Duo. She lied to you, and I can prove it.//  
  
"I would remember if she lied to me," Heero said angrily. "I would remember!" He banged his fist on the wall, and stared at it blankly as it started to bleed. "I would remember." He said softly, his resolve weakening.  
  
//You forgot about Duo's death.// The voice reasoned. //You forgot about the death of your best friend, so why couldn't you forget the lies of a loved one?// Heero shook his head, it couldn't be true. He refused to believe it. "You're lying Zero," he said adamantly. "I would remember! You're lying to me!" His last words were shouted, and some people glanced curiously at him before hurrying on their way.  
  
//Memories don't lie.// Zero said in a soothing voice. //And all I want to show you are memories. I want to show you the wrongs that she has done. You know what she did to Duo, but do you remember how she hurt you?// Heero didn't answer. He leaned against the wall, sinking slowly to the ground. It couldn't be true. Zero had to be lying. //Let me show you. Let me show you what she did.// Heero frowned at the familiar words, but despite his doubts he closed his eyes, and leaned his head against the wall. "Show me."  
  
And as he surrendered to the golden light, the alley disappeared, and the light was everything. So bright that nothing else could be seen. Heero blinked, and the light began to fade. The alley was gone. He wasn't in the streets of L3 anymore, instead he was in the hallway of a fancy hotel. He looked around bewilderedly. He didn't see Relena anywhere. "What did you want to show me?" He asked impatiently. "Where's Relena?"  
  
//Third door on the right.// Zero whispered. //But wait a moment. You'll be coming soon. Wait for yourself.//  
  
"What?" Heero was confused. "I have to wait for myself? I don't understand." He ran a hand through his untameable hair. //Look behind you, and you will have your answers.// Zero said in its smooth voice. //Follow yourself, and you will have your answers.//  
  
Heero turned around, and saw a slightly younger version of himself walk quickly down the hall. He stopped at the third door on the right, and stood in front of it for a moment, composing himself before he knocked on the door. "Relena?" The younger man said. "Relena, may I come in?" There was no answer, and Heero knocked again. "Relena?" Silence.  
  
Heero watched silently as his counterpart pulled out a small card, glanced at the number on it, and then entered the number onto the keypad. The keypad flashed green, and the younger Heero flung open the door. "Relena are you alright?" he asked, looking around for her. He heard sounds in the bedroom, and went to investigate. "Relena?" He gasped as he saw why she hadn't heard him. The Vice Foreign Minister was on the bed with another man, kissing him. The older Heero clenched his fists, and growled low in his throat. But the younger Heero, just stood there, staring at the woman he loved. "Relena!" He said in a choked voice.  
  
"Oh Heero!" Relena flushed slightly. "I wasn't expecting you."  
  
"That was obvious." The younger Heero said sardonically, trying to hide his hurt. "What are you doing with him?" He gestured at the man on the bed with her.  
  
"What do you think I was doing?" Relena asked sarcastically. "I was just thanking him for his generous gift." She lifted her right hand, showing Heero the diamond ring on her finger. "We're thinking of a July wedding."  
  
Heero fumed, but he kept his control, and watched as his counterpart struggled to keep his. "I- I thought that." the younger Heero trailed off for a moment, but then found his courage and continued. "I thought that you were going to wait for me."  
  
"I couldn't wait forever for you Heero," Relena smirked. "I wanted to, but then I met Joshua." She gestured at the man on the bed. "And I found that I enjoyed him, much more than I enjoyed you." Joshua glowed with pride as Heero fingers twitched, aching to reach for his gun. He wanted to shoot the man on the bed, but he couldn't. Relena had chosen that man, and nothing Heero did to him would change her mind.  
  
"You said you loved me," Heero managed to say. "You said."  
  
"I'm a politician," Relena cut him off harshly. "I say lots of things I don't mean, so I can get my way."  
  
The younger Heero visibly stiffened, and grew cold. "Then I'm sorry for bothering you Miss Dorlian." He said coldly, and walked out of the room. The older Heero followed him into the hall, and watched as his counterpart walked to a window, and opened it slightly. The younger Heero pulled a small ring box out of his pocket, and looked sadly at it when he opened it. Inside was a diamond ring with two doves engraved on it. "A politician." The young man growled. "I was a fool to love her!" He yelled as he threw the ring out the window. "I was a fool," the older Heero echoed the younger man weakly as the world was swallowed by the familiar golden light.  
  
//Do you have your answers?// Zero asked quietly. They were back in the alley. Heero kept his eyes closed, thinking about what he had just learned. He wanted to block it out, to say it wasn't true. Anything to stop the dull ache in his heart, but the scene kept replaying in his head. Over, and over. Tormenting him. He saw Relena kissing another man, and he heard her cruel words. "I'm a politician, I say lots of things I don't mean, so I can get my way."  
  
Heero felt himself go numb, felt his heart shut down, felt his emotions die. He shivered slightly, it seemed cold, but when he looked at the street, he saw that people were walking around in shorts and t-shirts. He wrapped his arms around himself. What was happening? //You're dying.// Zero hissed. //Let it happen, let the Heero Yuy you've become die.//  
  
"Why should I?" Heero was shivering uncontrollably. "What if I don't want to let him die?"  
  
//Why wouldn't you? The only reason you let yourself be controlled by your emotions was because of her, because you wanted to be a better man for her. But now that she's betrayed for you, why should you let your emotions control you?//  
  
Heero nodded, and accepted what Zero had said. He wanted to let himself die. To let his emotions die, and become the perfect soldier once more. Things were simpler that way. He closed his eyes, and leaned back against the wall. He wondered what it would feel like, would it hurt? The shivers stopped, but Heero was still freezing. He looked around at the happy colonists on the street, and wondered what it would be like to be one of them, to be a normal teenager with no worries other than homework, cars, and girls. He was only nineteen after all, and he was dying. Must be nice to be normal. He thought wistfully as he surrendered to the cold, and died.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the Preventors Base on L3, Wufei was working angrily at some paperwork. He hated paperwork with a passion. It seemed so useless to him. He was so busy, that he didn't even notice Sally enter the office. "What are you doing Wufei?" She asked quietly, and smirked when he jumped slightly.  
  
"Paperwork." He snapped, and tried to focus on the paper in front of him.  
  
"I figured that much you idiot." Sally said sharply. "But what are you really doing? You're still on the same piece of paper, as you were when I came in two hours ago. So what is bothering you?"  
  
What was bothering him? How about the fact that Heero had just kidnapped Relena? How about the fact that he was supposed to do nothing about it? Wufei growled and crumpled up the piece of paper. He couldn't do this! He hated being helpless! He felt Sally's hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly. "You're beginning to worry me."  
  
"I'll be fine," Wufei was about to say more when his vid-phone rang. He picked up, and saw Duo's face appear on the screen. "What do you want Maxwell?"  
  
"Nothing from you Wufei," Duo smirked. "I just want you to know that I still don't believe that he did it."  
  
"We have proof you idiot!" Wufei growled at the screen. "Didn't you watch the tape?"  
  
"Yeah, I watched it." The braided pilot answered. "But there was something wrong with him. Something different."  
  
"No matter what way you look at it, he's guilty." Wufei said angrily. "So why won't you." The screen went black as Duo hung up, and Wufei pounded his desk in frustration. Damn him! Why wouldn't he accept it?  
  
"What was that all about?" Sally was confused. "What's going on Wufei?" Wufei opened his mouth to tell her to mind her own business, when he saw someone pass by his door. It was only a low-level officer, by the uniform, but Wufei knew him. Yuy! Wufei jumped up, and after telling Sally to stay in his office, he sprinted after him.  
  
Heero had made it out the front door by the time that Wufei caught up with him. "Heero stop!" Wufei yelled, and was surprised when he actually did stop, and turned to face Wufei.  
  
"What do you want?" Heero sneered. "To know where Relena is?" He smirked slightly. "You're too late, she's long gone."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Wufei drew his gun and pointed it at Heero. "Tell me!"  
  
Heero never stopped smirking. "Why should I tell you? I'm the one who has the power here." Wufei gaped. Was he nuts? He had a gun aimed at his head! How could he possibly think that he's in control? Heero noticed Wufei's confused expression, and smiled, holding out a small detonator. "You're going to let me get out of here, or I'm going to blow up this base." Wufei never let his gun waver. "You should be more considerate Wufei, I placed a large amount of explosives right outside your office."  
  
"Why does that matter?" Wufei sneered at Heero. "Am I supposed to be heart broken if you blow my desk to bits?"  
  
"I don't think that you would care too much about your desk," Heero admitted, still smirking. "But I thought you would care about Sally. You like her don't you?"  
  
Sally? What the hell was this lunatic talking about? Oh god! Wufei felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. He had told Sally to stay in his office! And if Heero pushed that button.Wufei glared at the man in front of him. "Don't do it." He said shakily. "Please," - the words sounded like they had been forced out of him - "Please don't do this."  
  
"Let me go," Heero said without emotion. "Let me walk out of here." Wufei let the gun drop, and as it clattered to the floor, Heero ran out of the door. Wufei followed him for a moment, but stopped just outside the door, and watched helplessly as Heero crossed the street. Heero turned back to Wufei, and held the detonator in front of him. "Mission complete." Heero whispered, and closed his eyes, his hands twitching on the button. He wanted to press the button, every nerve was screaming at him to push it, but he ignored his desires, ruthlessly pushing them away. I have to time this right, he thought. I have to push it at just the right time if I want this to work. His eyes opened and he watched Wufei, waiting for him to run back into the base.  
  
"Sally!" Wufei screamed when he saw Heero pull out the detonator. He turned his back to Heero, and ran into the base. He had to reach her! He just had to! He sprinted down the empty hall. Almost there. "I'm going to make it!" he yelled seconds before he was thrown backwards by an explosion, and his world was engulfed by flames.  
  
  
  
Author's Note: So what did you think? C'mon tell me! 


	4. The Decision

Deceptions Part 4: The Decision  
  
Author's Note: Hey! I've been having a bit of trouble writing lately (family problems), that's why it took so long to write this chapter. And there's something that I don't like about this one, but I can't figure out what it is. So I'm going to post this chapter, and let you guys tell me if there's anything wrong with it,. So if there is something you don't like PLEASE tell me! Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not in any way own Gundam Wing.  
  
  
  
Heero ran through the streets of the colony, he heard men chasing him, and dared to glance behind him. Ten Preventors were following him, and all of them were armed. That's too many, he thought as he turned into a side alley, hoping to lose some of them. He was running out of options. The explosion at the base hadn't destroyed the garage where the cars were stored. He had destroyed the mobile suits, but hadn't even thought about the cars. He cursed his foolishness, and kept running.  
  
In his head he calculated the time before they would send the cars after him. The answer was grim, he only had a couple more minutes before they would come, and when that happened, all the training in the world wouldn't help him. Who could outrun a car? Not him. He had to find a crowded area where cars couldn't follow. He turned his head, and saw that he was still being trailed. He had to find a crowded area, and then he had to get rid of the Preventors uniform that he was wearing.  
  
He saw a bright colour out of the corner of his eye, and turned towards it, running down a small sidestreet. If he remembered correctly, that colour usually meant. . . a circus! He looked at the crowds of people that were milling around the huge tent and grinned, they'd never find him in there. Heero sprinted towards tent, and lost himself in the crowd. He ran towards the back of the tent, where the animals, and the performers trailers were.  
  
He ran up to the first trailer, and stopped outside the door, listening for noises inside. None reached his ears, and Heero quickly calculated the odds of someone being in the trailer. He glanced at the tent, and heard the cheers coming from within. They were probably in the tent, Heero decided, and opened the door, ready to run if someone was in there.  
  
The trailer was empty, and Heero walked in, closing the door behind him. It was pretty cramped, Heero realised as he looked around. There was only room for a bed, a small makeup table, and a chest of clothes. Heero walked over to the makeup table and looked at himself in the mirror. "You look like hell," he told himself as he slipped out of the uniform, and after a moment, he stood there in nothing but his green tank top, and spandex shorts. He stuffed the Preventors uniform under the bed, and was about to walk out, when the door opened.  
  
"Heero!" Catherine exclaimed, surprised that someone was in her trailer. Heero grabbed her, and pulled her inside, ignoring her protests. After he shut the door, he turned to face her, and pulled out his gun. This made things more difficult, but she was a danger to the mission, and therefore, she had to be eliminated. "Heero, don't do this." Catherine pleaded. "Don't make me hurt you."  
  
Heero snorted. She was worried about hurting him? What a fool, he thought as his finger tightened on the trigger. She's couldn't- Heero gasped. What the hell? He looked at his right shoulder, and smirked slightly. "You're a bigger fool than I thought you were." He said as he pulled the dagger from his shoulder. His gun still aimed at her head. Blood was flowing freely down his arm, but he ignored it. He had more important things to worry about. Like getting off this colony.  
  
Catherine closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, Heero wasn't in front of her anymore. He was behind her, with his arm was around her neck, and his gun against her head. "Any requests?" He whispered in her ear, and unconsciously tightened his hold on her.  
  
"I have one," Catherine said quietly, and closed her eyes once more, tears running down her cheeks. "Please don't harm my brother. Please don't hurt Trowa." She closed her eyes, and waited for the end, but it didn't come. She heard someone enter the trailer, and her eyes fluttered open. "Trowa?" She said weakly as Heero held her close to him.  
  
"Let her go," Trowa ordered. "Or I may have to hurt you." He took a step forward, but stopped when Catherine let out a whimper. Heero aimed the gun at Trowa, tightening his hold on Catherine. "Stop it!" Trowa said angrily. "You're choking her!  
  
"That's the point," Heero said coldly. "You're going to hurt me? I don't think so. It seems that I'm the one with the power here. Let me get out of here, and neither of you will get hurt." Catherine clawed at Heero's arms, but he didn't loosen his hold at all.  
  
"And if I refuse?" Trowa glared at Heero. "What will you do then?"  
  
"I'll kill her," Heero's eyes narrowed, and he loosened his arm so Catherine could breathe. He grinned at Trowa before he began to choke her again. "And then I'll kill you." Catherine reached under the makeup table, her hands closing around a knife that was hidden there.  
  
Trowa looked at her for a moment, and then he turned back to Heero. "Why are you doing this Heero?" He asked sadly. "Why did you kidnap Relena?" He gestured at his sister. "Why are you doing this to her?" He held up his hands in surrender, and backed into a corner, so Heero could pass him.  
  
"Why?" Heero snarled. "Relena betrayed us, and she betrayed me. She deserves whatever happens to her! Don't you care about what she did to Duo?" He backed up until he was right in front of the door. "I have no quarrel with you two, you were just in my way, and . . ." He trailed off as Catherine's knife found his stomach. "You bitch." He said weakly, and hit her on the head with the butt of his gun before sprinting out the door.  
  
Trowa ran forward, and cradled his sister in his arms. "Cathy?" He said quietly, his voice full of concern. "Cathy are you alright?" He lifted her, and gently lay her on the bed. "Please speak to me." His eyes filled with tears, but he refused to cry. He had to be strong, strong for her. He couldn't let her see how upset he was, it would only make the situation worse.  
  
"Did you see it Trowa?" Catherine smiled, and reached for him, her hand trembling slightly. Her smile grew when he grabbed her hand and held it tight. "Did you see?" She beamed with pride. "I got him, I was really scared, but I still got him." She sighed, and closed her eyes. "I got him." She murmured before she fainted.  
  
"Cathy?" Trowa said in a worried voice, but she didn't respond. He shook her gently, trying to wake her up. "Cathy!" He ran out of the trailer to get help, cursing Heero the entire time. "If she dies, I'll kill him!" Trowa promised himself, as he ran towards the tent. He ran up to the ringmaster, interrupting the show. He didn't care if he ruined the show, Catherine was hurt! As the ringmaster called the ambulance, Trowa ran back to her trailer. He burst through the door, grabbed her hand, and did something that he'd never done before. Trowa began to pray.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Wufei was surprised. He had expected to see some familiar faces here, but the last person he expected to meet in the hospital was Trowa. But here he was standing in the clinical white hallway, looking incredibly melancholy. Wufei walked up to him. "Why are you here?" He asked softly.  
  
"Heero attacked my sister," Trowa replied without looking at Wufei. "He was looking for a place to hide I guess, and she walked in on him. He grabbed her, and used her as a hostage, so I wouldn't stop him from leaving . . . He knows me too well. He knew that I wouldn't risk hurting her. "  
  
"And." Wufei prompted gently. "Catherine wouldn't get hurt from that. What did she do to make him angry? Stab him with one of her knives?" He had meant it as a joke, and was shocked when Trowa nodded slightly, holding up two fingers. "She stabbed him twice, and she survived?"  
  
"She may not," Trowa said sadly. "Heero hit her with his gun, and cracked her skull. The doctors say that there may be brain damage, but we won't know until she wakes up. If she wakes up." He hung his head in resignation  
  
"Don't give up hope that easily," Wufei chided his friend. "It's weak to give up so easily. If you give up, you're letting him win." Trowa nodded, and turned to look at Wufei for the first time. "And we can't let that bastard win."  
  
"You look like hell," Trowa stated simply, and it was true. His friend had burns all over his arms. "What happened?" Wufei didn't answer, and began to walk away, Trowa falling into step beside him. They walked through the winding corridors, until they came to the intensive care rooms. Wufei gestured at the window, and Trowa stepped up, and looked inside. What he saw made him sick to his stomach. "No," he whispered. "Sally . . . What happened?"  
  
"Heero bombed the Preventors Base." Wufei said angrily. "He set a large amount of explosives outside my office, and he knew that she would get hurt." He punched the wall. "He wanted her to get hurt!" He looked through the window. "First degree burns, all over her body. She tried to protect her head, and her arms are burned the worst."  
  
"If she was in your office, then she's lucky to have survived." Trowa observed. "It's amazing that she did actually."  
  
"She wasn't in my office." Wufei said, smiling sadly. "I told her to stay, but she didn't listen to me. She never does, you know."  
  
"I know," Trowa said, and a ghost of a smile graced his lips. "If I remember correctly, Sally never listens to anyone unless she wants to."  
  
"Stupid woman," Wufei said fondly. "I've never been so glad, that someone disobeyed my orders. If she hadn't, I would have lost her." His smile faded, and his hands clenched into fists. "Yuy has a lot to answer for."  
  
"Yes he does," A voice came from behind them. They both spun around to face the intruder. "He killed my sister." His face was tear-stained, and haggard. "She was visiting a friend at the Base, and she was caught in the explosion."  
  
"Quatre?" Trowa said softly. "Are you going to be alright?" He reached out to touch his friend's shoulder, but Quatre flinched away, and collapsed into a hospital chair, burying his face in his hands.  
  
"How could I be alright?" Quatre asked miserably. "She's dead! Iria's dead!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Heero walked with difficulty through the streets of L1. He had made it back easily enough by stowing away in a cargo hold of a shuttle. But now that he made it, he was having trouble getting around. The two stab wounds that Trowa's sister had "gifted" him with hadn't stopped bleeding yet, and his shirt was soaked with blood. I have to make it back, he thought grimly. I can't be captured by the enemy.  
  
He limped down a deserted alley, glancing behind him as he walked. This was no good. He was leaving a trail of blood, and if he wasn't careful, he would betray the location of the doctors. He froze as he heard someone chuckle behind him. He turned around slowly, getting into a defensive crouch. A man stood behind him, an evil grin on his face. "Where ya goin' boy?" He asked, a knife appearing in his hand. "You shouldn't be alone in this part of town." He gestured towards Heero's stomach. "Especially if you're hurt."  
  
Heero ignored his words, silently sizing up his opponent. He was tall, and he was obviously strong, but he didn't seem to be that intelligent. Heero sneered inwardly, this man was way too cocky. He was about to find out that the odds were uneven, but not in his favour. Heero smiled as the man rushed him. This was almost too easy. He dodged the thug effortlessly, and hammered him in the stomach with his knee. The man fell down, gasping for breath, and Heero kicked the knife out of his hand. The man scrambled up, and lunged at Heero again, only to impale himself on the knife that Heero had kicked out of his hand. "How could I lose to a hurt kid?" The man asked himself weakly, and died.  
  
Heero knelt over the man, and checked for a pulse. When he found none, he cut off the man's shirt, and ripped it into strips. Then Heero pulled off his own top, and used the man's shirt for bandages. Now he didn't have to worry about leaving a trail. The new bandages would hold until he reached the doctors. He looked at the man he had just killed, and took his wallet and watch so it would look like a mugging, and then he walked out of the alley.  
  
He walked through the winding streets for hours, trying to find his way back. Heero was confused. He shouldn't have any problem finding his way to the lab. He swayed slightly, and glanced down at his wounds. The new bandages were now soaked in blood. Was he having trouble finding his way back because of blood loss? He couldn't die yet, he still had to report back.  
  
Heero shook his head in an attempt to clear it. Where was he? He looked to his right, and saw a familiar figure walking towards him. He stumbled forward reaching for the figure, and grabbing its coat. "You have to help me," he ordered. The figure was silent. "Help me or I'll kill you." Heero threatened, and was shocked when the figure laughed.  
  
"I'm not afraid of you," the figure laughed. "I made you what you are, and I will never be afraid of something I've created. Not even a killer like you."  
  
"Doctor J?" Heero said slowly. "I - I have to report." He trailed off as the street began to spin, and nearly fell over. "Mission successful . . ." He was gasping for breath now. "The Preventor Base has been levelled. 05 was there, and was most likely injured by the explosion."  
  
"That's enough for now," Doctor J cut him off. "You need to come inside and heal." He led Heero into the lab, and instructed him to lie on the table. Doctor J sedated him, and stitched up his wounds. "Sleep now. We'll discuss your next mission in the morning." He started to leave the room, but Heero grabbed his arm.  
  
"This was supposed to be my last mission." Heero said weakly. "Zero promised."  
  
"Go to sleep." Doctor J advised him. "We'll discuss new missions later." Heero nodded, and closed his eyes. He was fast asleep minutes later when the doctor returned, and turned up the frequency of the zero system.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The world was dark. So dark, Heero could barely see two feet in front of him. "Where am I?" He asked, and his words echoed in the darkness. "Is there anybody here?" He growled with frustration and started walking, hoping that he'd eventually he'd find someone in the darkness.  
  
"Useless, unworthy soldier," a voice hissed, and Heero spun to face where it had came from, but no one was there. "Doesn't know what to do with himself. Won't use his only talents. . ." The voice had come from behind, and Heero spun around once again only to find the same blackness. "Wastes his life. . ."  
  
"Who?" Heero yelled. "Who are you talking about?" He heard a low chuckle behind him, and he turned again. Only to find himself looking at the same darkness. No wait, there was something there. Heero watched as shadows began to run together, forming a body. "Who are you?"  
  
The shadows chuckled, and something stepped out of the cloud. Heero found himself looking at a human. One with messy brown hair, and blue eyes. "I am you," he said smirking slightly, and grabbed Heero's hand. His smirk grew as Heero flinched. "Relax," he said softly and Heero felt the tension draining out of his body. "You must see what will happen to us." He let go of Heero's hand, and the ground disappeared beneath Heero's feet. He was falling!  
  
Heero panicked and reached out for something, anything to stop his fall, but there was nothing in the darkness that he could hold onto. He smashed into the ground, and winced as he heard bones in his arm break. How could he get out of here now? He looked around and realized that he wasn't in the dark, empty plain anymore. He was on a street in a colony, he wasn't sure what one, and he gaped when he saw himself, wearing tattered, dirty clothes. He walked over to himself, careful not to jar his injured arm, and watched in horror as his counterpart begged and pleaded for money.  
  
That couldn't be me, Heero thought as he saw the other Heero blessing a man who had just thrown a single credit into his hat. I wouldn't beg, I never beg. //That is what you will become if you don't take another mission.//  
  
"Zero?" Heero's shoulders slumped forward in relief. "I was worried that you had left me. That you weren't going to help me anymore." He slowly registered what Zero had said, and glared at his counterpart, disgusted. "You mean that's what I'm going to become? A street beggar?" //Yes//  
  
"I would never beg," Heero said firmly. "Never."  
  
//If the circumstances were right, you would.// Zero said smoothly. //This is your what your future will be if you give up the missions.//  
  
"How?" Heero asked in disbelief. "How could I sink so low?"  
  
//When you stopped taking missions, you became overcome with guilt. You thought of all the people you killed, thought of all the innocents you'd murdered. And you wanted to forget.// Heero shook his head, not wanting to believe what Zero was telling him. //So you took some drugs, got addicted to them, and after you had used all your money that you had saved. you began to beg on the street.//  
  
"No," Heero said vehemently. "I won't end up like that!"  
  
//There is one way to avoid it.//  
  
"How?" Heero was desperate. He didn't want to end up like this, he didn't want to become nothing. "Please Zero tell me how."  
  
//Take more missions.// Zero counselled. //And you won't end up like this.//  
  
"I don't want to take more missions. . ." Heero began, but was cut off when a bright flash of light blinded him, and he felt a sharp pain inside of his head. "What's going on?" He asked weakly.  
  
//You do want to take more missions, you just don't realize it.// Zero ignored Heero's question. //Do you deny that you only truly feel alive when on a mission?//  
  
"No Heero yelled, holding his aching head. "But I feel alive when I'm not on missions too." Heero shook his head, and attempted to order his jumbled thoughts.  
  
//When?// Zero asked, and the pounding in Heero's head got worse. //Tell me when.//  
  
"When I'm with Relena!" Heero snarled at Zero, and then froze, realising what he had just said. How could he feel alive with someone who had betrayed him? Someone who had killed Duo? He couldn't. So, now, Zero was right. The only time that he felt alive was on a mission.the pain in his head disappeared, and the bright light was fading.  
  
//Make the right choice.// Zero said, his presence fading away, and Heero was once again alone.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Doctor J was in his lab studying the results of the last hallucination. It had worked better than he'd hoped. Heero was probably on his way right now to ask for another mission. He smiled slightly. The Zero system worked perfectly, and they now had a Perfect Soldier who had no distractions. He feigned surprise as Heero burst through the door. "Heero," he exclaimed. "What are you doing here? You should be lying down."  
  
Heero walked over to the doctor, grabbing him be his lab jacket, and pushing him against the wall. "Be quiet," He growled, and for the first time since Doctor J had met Heero, he was afraid of him. His eyes had changed, the doctor noticed, instead of a deep blue, they were now a dull grey. So they had finally done it, they had eliminated all distractions, and created a fighting machine who surpassed all others. "I don't want to lie down," the Perfect Soldier said tonelessly. "I want another mission."  
  
  
  
Author's Note: Please review! I'm so totally lost on what I'm going to do with this story. Like I know what I want to happen, but I'm having trouble writing it down. So if you have any ideas please tell me! Thanks! 


	5. The Owner

Deceptions Part 5: The Owner  
  
Author's Note: Wow! Thanks everyone for all the reviews! I got some good story ideas, and a couple of them are pretty close to what I originally planned to do. To answer a couple of questions that were posed in the reviews.  
  
Animechick2487: I can't tell you how the story ends because of two things. First thing, it would give away the story. And second thing, I'm not even really sure how it's going to end.  
  
SSJ Inuyasha: Read it carefully. Trowa didn't tell Heero that Duo's alive, because he doesn't understand what Heero meant. Heero didn't specify that he thought Duo was dead.  
  
Rei Tamashii: You're right. It isn't really a romance fic. I should probably change the genre, but I don't really know what to change it to. So I guess I'll leave it as romance even though I don't think that the story will end up being very romantic (is it possible to make it romantic after what's happened? Without making it really cliché or farfetched?).  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.  
  
WARNING: Mild Language, and Physical Abuse  
"Is that all you know?" Zechs asked and sighed in frustration when Trowa nodded. It had been three weeks now, and they were still no closer to finding his sister. They hadn't even found a single lead. All they knew was that Yuy had been on L3 four days ago and had bombed a Preventors base. What had happened to him? Zechs didn't like him very much, but even he had to admit that Yuy was brave, and that this didn't seem like him. Zechs was pulled from his reverie when he heard Trowa speak to him again. "What did you say?"  
  
"I said that Heero mentioned Duo when I asked him about Relena." Trowa repeated calmly. "He told me that Relena had betrayed him, and then he asked me if I cared about what she had done to Duo. He said that she deserves everything that's happened to her."  
  
"She doesn't deserve any of it," Zechs snapped. How could anyone hate Relena so much? She was so pure and innocent. She was the main reason that it was still peaceful. There had been riots and rebellions in the ESUN after the Mariemaia incident, and she had stopped them without a single shot fired. She was truly amazing, and now - she was gone. Zechs felt his composure abandoning him.  
  
She was only nineteen, and she had gone through so much. She had been a princess, a queen, and one of the highest-ranking government officials before her seventeenth birthday. She had been told by the boy she loved - Zechs grimaced slightly at the thought of Heero and Relena together - that he would kill her, and now it seems that he had carried out her threat. No! She had to be alive. He just couldn't bring himself to believe that his sister; his beautiful, intelligent, and compassionate sister was dead. She's not dead, he told himself.  
  
"I don't think she's dead either," Trowa said softly, making Zechs jump slightly. He hadn't realize that he had spoken his last thought aloud. "What should we do about the situation?"  
  
"We need to talk to Maxwell." Zechs decided. "We need to see what Yuy is talking about, but who's going to talk to him? I can't, I might end up killing him because of all his smart-ass comments."  
  
"Wufei has trouble handling Duo as well, and he won't leave Sally anyway." Trowa paused, and thought for a moment about their circumstances. "Normally I would tell you that Quatre would be the best one to send, he likes Duo a lot, but he is no shape for any missions right now. He is still in mourning for his sister." He sighed sadly. "She was the one who understood him the best, and though he loves all of his sisters, she was his favourite. I guess it will have to be me." Zechs nodded, and Trowa sighed again. "I'm not very good at talking with people." He cautioned.  
  
"Understood." Trowa gaped as Zechs' eyes took on a pleading quality. Zechs never pleaded, he never begged. "Do anything you have to. . . but get her back. I never really realised just how much she meant to me until I lost her."  
  
"I know what it's like to worry for a sister." Trowa said seriously, and thought about how he would feel if Catherine had been kidnapped. "I'll talk to Duo," Trowa promised. "And Zechs, don't worry. We'll find Heero. He can't hide forever, and when we find him he'll pay for his crimes. He made the biggest mistake of his life when he hurt the ones that we love."  
  
"Tell me if you find anything," Zechs ordered, and turned off the vid- phone. He sat there, staring at the blank screen, worries and doubts running through his mind. What if Relena really was dead? He pushed the thought out of his mind. He couldn't give up hope. He tried to think of happier things, but nothing worked. How could he think about anything, but her? He smiled slightly as he found a subject to think about. One that he could keep his mind on. He was so absorbed in his thoughts, that he jumped slightly when someone touched his shoulder, and turned around to face them.  
  
"Noin," he said breathlessly. "Don't sneak up on me like that."  
  
"Why?" She asked. "Did I scare you Zechs?" She smiled inwardly, knowing that he would never admit it. They had been married for almost a year now, but he still didn't like to show any weakness to her. She supposed that it hurt his masculine pride for his wife to know that he was scared.  
  
"Of course not," He said gruffly, and changed the subject. "I was thinking of Relena and-" Noin put a finger to his lips, and shook her head. He gaped at her, incredibly confused. What had he said wrong? He frowned, who could understand women?  
  
"You shouldn't lie Zechs," She said quietly. "I always know when you're lying, so why do you even try?" He opened his mouth to protest, but she silenced him with a glare. "Besides, I saw a small smile on your face when I came in. So don't tell me that you were thinking about Relena, because I know that wouldn't make you smile."  
  
"I was thinking of you," he said quickly, and reached for her in an effort to pull her into his lap, but she slapped his hand away. She glared at him, and he cowered under her gaze. What had he done wrong?  
  
"You're lying again," she admonished. "Why do you keep lying to me Zechs?" She moved her face close to his, and cupped his chin, tilting his head up so he was looking into her eyes. "I know exactly who you were thinking about. . ." She paused slightly for effect. "You were thinking about Heero."  
  
Zechs eyes bulged. "I was not!" He protested and pushed her away. "I don't think about him!"  
  
Noin sighed in frustration. Why was he being so difficult? "I'm not saying that you were fantisizing about him or anything." She ran a hand through her hair. "You're married to me, remember? I just figured that you were thinking about what you were going to do to him when he gets caught." He nodded slightly, amazed that she always seemed to know what he was thinking.  
  
"You can be a cruel man, Zechs. I could almost pity Heero." Her eyes flashed with anger. "Almost. I can't honestly feel anything but anger towards him now. Not after what he did to Catherine, Sally, and Wufei. And especially not after what he did to Relena. She loved him Zechs." She caught his grimace. "As much as you hate to admit it, she loved him, and look where her love got her. . ." Noin trailed off unable to continue, and Zechs stood up.  
  
"We'll get him, Noin." He promised as he pulled her into his arms. He held her close as she sobbed softly into his chest, but refused to look at her. He knew that she hated it when anyone saw her cry. He wanted to kill Yuy for making his wife sad, for taking Relena away, and for attacking the noblest people that Zechs had ever known.  
  
Damn you, Yuy! He wanted to scream at the world, to curse the former Gundam pilot who had brought so much pain into their once happy lives, but he knew that would upset his wife, so he settled for whispering his promise to her over and over again. "We'll get him. We'll find the bastard." He whispered in Noin's ear like a prayer, and by the time she had stopped crying, he could almost bring himself to believe it.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Four days ago, the Preventors base on L3 was viscously and brutally attacked by a terrorist. The Preventors released the identity of the bomber today. Heero Yuy, an assassin from L1, and former Gundam Pilot. Yuy is 19 years old, armed, and extremely dangerous." A picture of Heero flashed upon the screen. "He is also responsible for the kidnapping of Vice Foreign Minister Darlian. If you have any information on this man, please contact the Preventors immediately. . ." Duo turned off the television. He couldn't stand to hear more about Heero's crimes.  
  
What happened to you buddy? He thought gloomily. Why are you doing all this stuff? It's not like you to hurt people without a reason. Especially Relena. Why on earth would you hurt the girl you love? Duo couldn't figure it out. Sure they'd had little fights, but all couples did. Hell, it would be unnatural if they didn't fight. He searched through his memories and tried to think of what went wrong. What had caused Heero to do this?  
  
Relena and Heero had parted as friends after the war, and had been brought back together when Mariemaia had attempted to overthrow the ESUN. Heero had already admitted to Duo that he felt something for Relena, but didn't know how to describe it. He missed her, and despite what he tried to tell himself, he knew somewhere inside that he wanted to be with her.  
  
Heero stayed with Relena after Dekim Barton died, and had told her that he wanted to protect her. She accepted his offer, and Duo knew that they had begun to feel things for each other that were much more than friendship. They became closer, and Relena began to break down the emotional walls that Heero had put up. He began to come into work with a smile on his face. He would talk, and joke. He still had trouble understanding his emotions at times, but that was to be expected. No one understood their feelings all the time.  
  
So what had went wrong? Why had Heero dissappeared a year ago, only to come back, kidnap Relena, and blow up a base? It didn't make any sense. "Damn it!" Duo yelled in frustration, and picked up a pillow, chucking it at the wall. "Why did you do this Heero?!?" He wanted to go out and beat some sense into his best friend, but he didn't know where to find him. "Besides," Duo said softly to the empty room. "He would probably kill me if I tried."  
  
"Who would kill you?" Hilde entered the apartment and took off her coat. She hung it on the back of a chair and then turned to face her boyfriend. "And why?" She looked expectantly at Duo.  
  
"Hilde," He said quietly. "Haven't you heard?" She shook her head, and he pulled her to a nearby chair, motioning for her to sit down. Hilde frowned, and shook her head again. She moved away from the chair, back to where they had been standing.  
  
"Just tell me Duo," She said in a frustrated tone. "I can take it. You're acting like I'm too delicate to handle this, but I'll be fine."  
  
"Hil," Duo began, his voice low. "I know you're not fragile or anything, but this is really big." He ran a hand through his bangs. "I've been having trouble handling it myself. . ."  
  
"Stop babbling Duo and tell me what is going on."  
  
"They released the identity of the guy who bombed the Preventors Base on L3." He began, and saw her fists clench. She had been angry when she had heard that Sally, Catherine, and Wufei had been hurt. And after she found out that Quatre's sister, Iria, had been killed. . . Duo mentally cringed. Hilde had almost broken the television when she heard. She had wanted to call Trowa and Wufei, but Duo had refused to give her their numbers, saying that they would call him when they were ready to talk.  
  
"Who is it?" The fury detectable in her voice. "Who's the bastard who did all this?" Her eyes burned with anger. "Because when I find out who he is, I'm going to kill him."  
  
"Hilde," He paused, not sure how to break it to her. "Heero was the one who bombed the base."  
  
Her jaw dropped, and her knees gave way. He caught her in his arms, and lowered himself down to the floor, easing her into his lap. "I - I can't believe it's him," She said softly. "I've only met him a couple times, but he seemed nice." She looked into Duo's eyes. "I was wrong. He's a heartless bastard who deserves to burn in Hell."  
  
"Don't talk about my friend that way." He said softly, not flinching when Hilde turned her angry gaze on him.  
  
"How can you call that -" She searched for the right word. "- that monster your friend? Don't you care about the lives he's ruined? Don't you -"  
  
"Of course I do!" Duo interrupted. "I'm really angry about what he's done, but I can see that something isn't right! This isn't Heero! He was a cold- hearted jerk when I first met him, but even then he didn't spill innocent blood."  
  
"He's blown up bases before." Hilde pointed out with a smug expression on her face. Duo glared at her.  
  
"Of course he has," He looked away from her and sighed, running his hands through his bangs again. "I have too, but Catherine wasn't at the base. He hurt her for no reason."  
  
"She stabbed him."  
  
"Hilde, this is gonna sound crazy, but you've got to hear me out." She nodded slightly. "I've been Heero's best friend since the war, and I know him better than anyone. The Heero I know wouldn't have hurt Catherine. He would have run away."  
  
"But she stabbed him!" Hilde gave an exasperated sigh. "Do you honestly expect him to just run away from that?"  
  
"No!" Duo's patience broke, and he shouted at her. "But the Heero I know wouldn't have threatened her in the first place! He would have run away!" He saw the doubt in her face, and continued in a calmer tone. "He's not the Heero I know, Hil, and I can't figure out why. Something's wrong, and it can't really be him."  
  
"People change Duo."  
  
Duo crossed his arms, and glared at her. "I refuse to believe that this is really him."  
  
"Duo you idiot!" Hilde wanted to strangle him. "There is proof! He is responsible for this!" Duo shook his head, and Hilde lost her temper. "You just can't seem to get it through your thick head that Heero's doing this, can you? He likes to kill. You told me that he used to laugh during battle, and after the wars ended, there was no need to fight so he found new ways to sate his urges. You don't seem to care about your friends that much, Duo. They've all been hurt by Heero, but you refuse to acknowledge what he's done. What will it take for you to care? Will he have to hurt you personally before you get involved?"  
  
Duo's eyes flashed angrily, and he pushed Hilde off his lap, onto the floor. "Never doubt my loyalty to my friends." He said angrily. "All their suffering tears me up inside, but I can't condemn Heero for this because I know it isn't him." He stood up and walked over to the door, grabbing his coat from the closet. "You're not the person I thought you were Miss Schbeiker." He said softly before he walked out of apartment, slamming the door behind him.  
  
The formality stung, and Hilde struggled to hold back her tears. Duo was never formal. He had never called her "miss". When she realized what had just happened, she knew that it was over. Three years together, three years of happiness, ended because of him. Hilde's eyes narrowed. It was all his fault. He had caused this to happen. "I hate you, Heero Yuy." She said to the now empty room before she burst into tears. She missed Duo already.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Relena groaned and rubbed her head as she sat up in her cell. It had been weeks since she had arrived on Earth, but she had yet to see the man who had "bought" her. She hadn't seen anyone except her guard. The solitary confinement was driving her to distraction. She needed something to do, someone to talk to. But her guard wouldn't talk to her, and there was nothing to do in her tiny cell. So she would lie on her bunk and reminisce about her old life. She actually missed the stress of being a politician. That's how bored she was.  
  
Heero. The thought came unbidden into her mind. She had been thinking about him for weeks now. She loved him, and had thought that he had felt the same. So, what had changed? Why had he suddenly vanished for a year, and then shown up, only to kidnap her? What bothered her more was that he had sold her. Heero had never cared about money before, all the crimes he had committed had been for a cause. Was this whole fiasco for a certain cause? No. It couldn't be. How would selling her help anything?  
  
Maybe it was personal. She ran back through what had been said before he sold her, and tears sprang to her eyes. Had he really meant all those things he said? Was she really nothing more than an annoyance? She wanted to deny it, but what reason would he have to lie? She thought for a moment. He had no reasons to lie to her. She was nothing more than an annoying obstacle to him, and Heero Yuy destroyed all obstacles in his way.  
  
A tear slipped down her cheek, and she wiped it absently. She had promised herself she wouldn't cry, but she couldn't help it. She had loved him. Given him her heart and soul, and he had shown her what he thought of her gesture. Nothing. He didn't care about her.  
  
Relena jumped slightly when a handsome young man entered the room. She wiped away her tears, and composed her face, donning a social mask that she had used often as the Vice Foreign Minister. "Hello," she said politely. "Who are you?"  
  
"Your owner," The man smiled slightly. "I'm sorry that I didn't come to speak with you before my dear, but I had other business to attend to." He reached out for Relena's hand, but she flinched away angrily. The man frowned, and reached for her again, only to have her slap his hand away.  
  
"I'm nobody's property." She said angrily. "Least of all yours."  
  
He pulled out a small piece of paper, and waved it in front of her face. "But this says that you belong to me." His smile grew, and Relena began to feel afraid. "It also says that I can do anything that I want with you." She backed away from him until her back brushed the wall. "Don't be afraid." He ran his hand up her arm. "I'll be gentle."  
  
"Stay away!" she screamed, and tried to push past him. "Don't touch me!" She bit back a groan as he threw her back to the wall, and held her there. He pressed his mouth against hers, and she fought the urge to gag. She pushed him away, and tried to slip past him again.  
  
"Stay still!" He yelled angrily and slapped her so hard that black spots appeared in her eyes. He pinned her against the wall with his body, grabbed a fistful of her hair, and twisted her head up so he could kiss her. He gave her a hard kiss, making her whimper slightly in pain. He yanked her hair, forcing her head up and lowered his head to whisper in her ear. "Shut up. Don't make a sound or it will be worse for you."  
  
He brought his lips to hers again, but this time Relena remained silent. She tried to think she was somewhere else, in someone else's arms, but she failed miserably. Who would she think of? Heero? She would have laughed if she could. Even when she was being violated, she thought about Heero. She stiffened as the man jammed his tongue into her mouth. Her mind screamed against the violation, she did the only thing that she could of think of. She bit down hard on his tongue.  
  
"Damnit!" He pushed her to the ground, and beat her mercilessly. "You stupid bitch! You'll pay for that!" He screamed at her between punches, and grinned evilly when she cried out for Heero. "Why would you call out for him? He sold you to me." He pulled her up, and pushed her onto the bed. Relena tensed, preparing for the worst to happen, but he didn't make a move to join her. "So you feel something for Heero Yuy? I heard he promised to protect you once." He sighed. "Some people are so fickle."  
  
Relena shook her head, wishing he would stop talking about Heero. He noticed her discomfort, but ignored it, continuing his monologue. "And the best part is that he knew exactly what I wanted with you. Where is your protector now?" He laughed and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.  
  
Relena shoulders sagged in relief when he walked out the door, and she buried her face in her hands. That had been too close. She could still feel his hands on her, and taste him. Relena shuddered, and rubbed her arms as if that would make the dirty feeling go away. So this is what the most powerful politician in the ESUN had been reduced to. She thought about the man who had nearly molested her, and thought about what he had said. Where is your protector now? She wanted to ask the same thing. Where are you Heero? She thought, just before sleep claimed her.  
  
Author's Note: What did ya think? Please tell me! 


	6. The Hospital

Deceptions Part 6: The Hospital  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, but I do own some manga, DVDs, and this plotline.  
  
Author's Note: Hey I'm back! Thanks a lot to everyone who reviewed. No one had questions this time except for 'Darth' and they had a lot. So. . .  
  
Darth: Ok. Lots of questions to be answered here. 1) Okay, Duo's the only one to think that Heero has something wrong with him because. he just knows him, he's his best friend, and the others prefer to believe in facts. 2) No one checked on Heero when he dissappeared because he seems to me like he's the kind of guy who dissapears a lot, and it wasn't unusual. They did become a little worried when he was gone for such a long time, but they all figured he had his reasons. 3) I can't tell you what's going to happen! 4) Yeah, I know that Hilde was really different, and she totally overreacted, but she seems to be a really rash, emotional person who doesn't go halfway. . . I mean check her out in the series, she just talked to Duo a couple of times, and then she decides to betray OZ and protect him. Ya see? Rash. And yeah, she did freak out and blamed Heero for everything, but when you have a big fight with someone you're close to, do you think rationally?  
  
WARNING: MAJOR HEERO-BASTARDIZATION!!!  
  
Duo rubbed his eyes, trying to focus on the screen in front of him. "Sorry," He said groggily. "Could you repeat that?" He heard the other man sigh in frustration. "I said I'm sorry." Duo said defensively. "I'm tired, I need sleep. In case you haven't noticed, it's three in the morning!" The man held up his hands in mock surrender, and it was Duo's turn to sigh as he ran a hand through his bangs. "Sorry," He said for the third time. "I'm not having the best night."  
  
"I need to talk to you."  
  
"Man," Duo gave a small grin. "You don't waste any words, do you Trowa?" When there was no response, Duo continued. "Where?"  
  
"Stay there," Trowa ordered. "I'll come to you, just try to wake yourself up a little before I get there." The screen went blank, and Duo stumbled into the tiny kitchen of his apartment, looking for coffee. He hadn't been here in over a month. He had been living with Hilde, and there was no reason to come around. The lease would be over in two months, and until then he had intended to leave the room empty. Duo smiled triumphantly when he found what he was looking for, and turned on the coffee maker.  
  
He didn't know what to make of it. Hilde had just flipped. She had blamed Heero for everything. Had even gone so far to say that Duo didn't care about his friends. Well, she was right in a way. The fight had stemmed from Heero's actions, but it was Hilde's choice to react the way she did. He couldn't blame all his relationship problems on Heero. It wasn't Heero's fault that Hilde wasn't the person that he had thought she was.  
  
He poured himself a cup of coffee, and sipped at it. What could have happened to Heero? Why was he doing this? He asked himself for the millionth time. He just couldn't understand it. It didn't make any sense that his best friend would suddenly turn, and destroy everything that he held sacred. He had worked so hard to create this peace so why would he try so hard to end it? It just didn't make sense.  
  
Duo was pulled from his reverie by a knock on the door. "Coming!" He called, running to the door, and pulling it open. "Come on in." He gestured grandly towards the couch. "How are you?"  
  
"You know that Heero was the one who bombed the Preventors Base, right?" Trowa asked.  
  
"I'm glad to hear you're doing well." Duo said sarcastically. "I'm doing just fine. Thanks for asking!" He turned to Trowa angrily. "I haven't seen you in months, haven't heard from you in months, and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is about the bombing! Is that the only reason you came to see me?" Trowa nodded, and Duo's anger faded. "Fine, I'll talk, but afterwards I want to hear about how things are in your life. All right?"  
  
Trowa nodded again, and Duo gestured towards the kitchen table. "Take a seat, man." He a cup and poured coffee into it. "You want some coffee?" He asked and pushed the mug towards Trowa, who took it gratefully. "So what's on your mind?"  
  
"How much do you know about the bombing?" Trowa asked quietly.  
  
"Not much," Duo shrugged. "Basically what's in the news. Heero was the one who bombed the base. There was a lot of people killed in the explosion, and the Preventors have no idea where he escaped to."  
  
"There's more." Trowa said, and Duo looked at him with interest. "Heero was chased by the Preventors after he blew up the base, and he escaped from them by going to the circus. That's how Catherine got hurt. She was no where near the base. He was in her trailer, and she walked in on him. He threatened her, and was going to kill her when I walked in. He used her as a hostage, so I wouldn't kill him."  
  
"I knew that already," Duo said smugly, and smirked when Trowa's head shot up. "I hacked into the Preventors database, and found out all about your sister. Hilde had a fit when I told her about that."  
  
"Duo. . ." Trowa said in a frustrated tone. "That information is classified. How did you get in there?"  
  
"That's a trade secret," Duo said, silently thanking Heero for teaching him how to hack into the database. "But if it makes you feel any better, it was pretty tough. Anyway, was that all you wanted to tell me?"  
  
"No." Trowa sipped at his coffee. "I wanted to ask you about something. When I walked in on Heero and Catherine, he said a couple of things."  
  
"What kind of things?" Duo asked, it hadn't mentioned anything like that in the database. "I never heard about that."  
  
"No one else knows except for Zechs." Trowa supplied. "He said that Relena had betrayed us and that she deserved everything that he did to her."  
  
"She doesn't deserved any of it!" Duo snapped, and Trowa smirked slightly. "What?"  
  
"Zechs said the exact same thing." Trowa informed him, and smirked again when Duo gaped at him. "Heero also mentioned you." Duo tensed. "His exact words were: 'Don't you care about what she did to Duo?' So Zechs sent me here to ask you what she did to you. He would've sent Quatre, but-"  
  
"Yeah, I know, Iria's dead." Duo said sadly. "Anyway, Relena's done nothing to me." He paused. "Nothing serious anyway. A couple of pranks, but they were always after I did something to her. You don't think that Heero would kidnap her because of a couple of pranks, do you?"  
  
Trowa shook his head. "I'm sure that he means something more important." He sighed. "So. We've reached a dead end. The only ones who can tell us what happened are Heero and Relena, and we can't find either of them."  
  
"Sorry I couldn't help you, man." Duo said sincerely as Trowa stood up to leave. "Hold it. You said that you would talk." Trowa sat back down, and Duo leaned closer to him. "So," he said in a conversational tone. "How's Catherine doing?"  
  
"She woke up from her coma yesterday, but she's not the same. I was allowed to talk to her today, and she's like a little child. She kept talking about dolls, and how she much she missed her mother. She doesn't even seem to know me."  
  
"I'm sorry," Duo said softly. "I didn't know that it was that bad."  
  
"I can't wait to get my hands on Heero," Trowa said vengefully. "We'll make him pay."  
  
"It wasn't him." Duo snapped. "Something's wrong with him. Can't anybody else see it? Can you honestly believe that Heero Yuy would do all this? It goes against everything he was! He never taunted people when he blew up bases, he never kidnapped government officials. I can't see him doing this!"  
  
"People change," Trowa shot back at him.  
  
This was too close to the argument he'd had with Hilde. "I'm not going to argue about this with you Trowa!" He shouted. "I've already gone through this!" He seemed to deflate. "Hilde said the exact same stuff you did, and I don't want to hear it again..."  
  
Trowa apologized, but Duo waved it off. "Not your fault." He said. "You couldn't have known. Is there anything that I can help you with?"  
  
"I didn't think that you'd want to help us capture him."  
  
"You've got it all wrong. I don't want to help you kill him, but I'll help you find him if I can." Duo ran a hand through his bangs. "He needs to answer a couple of questions, and we can find out what's wrong with him." Trowa opened his mouth to say something, but Duo didn't give him a chance. "I would look for him on L1. That's the most obvious place for him to be, so he knows that you won't put as much effort into searching there. He's probably hidden himself in plain sight. So search around there."  
  
"You really think so?" Trowa asked. "It seems more likely that he'd be on a different colony."  
  
"Trust me." Duo said confidently. "He knows L1 the best, that's where he'll be." He looked at his watch, and saw that it was 6:00AM. "Well! It's getting early! I've got to get some sleep." Trowa took a hint, and walked towards the door.  
  
"Thanks," he said as he walked out, shutting the door behind him, but Duo didn't hear him. He was already fast asleep on the couch, dreaming about Hilde.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Heero was frustrated. The Preventors were scouring L1, and he had almost been caught twice already. He had been so sure that they wouldn't search this place thoroughly. He had been counting on it actually, and now he needed to make an escape. He had been forced to dye his hair and cut it. He now had short platinum blonde hair, and he hated it. The only good thing about it, was that no one recognized him now. He wondered idly if Relena would recognize him. She had always been able to point him out in a crowd.  
  
He shook his head, as if that would get rid of his thoughts. He was punishing her. Selling her for money had only been part of the punishment, he'd wanted to kill her, but the doctors had needed the money. Besides, selling her would make her suffer more, but it still wasn't enough. To truly punish her he would tear down the fragile peace that she had struggled so hard to create. He would destroy her dream. He would let her owner have his fun with her, and when he was done, Heero would take her back, and he would kill her.  
  
He had never stopped to consider that maybe he was going too far. Never stopped to consider that by striking out against her, he would be killing innocent people. Am I wrong? He asked himself. Am I doing the wrong thing by bringing others into this? He felt a wave of doubt wash over him. When he looked at it that way, it seemed that he had been doing the wrong thing for a long time. Am I wrong? He asked himself again.  
  
//Never.// Heero relaxed at the sound of Zero's voice. It didn't bother him anymore that he was talking to a machine inside his head. Zero never lied to him, and could be trusted, unlike Relena. He had trusted her completely and she had betrayed him. Zero wouldn't die until he died. Would never leave him alone, like Duo had. Heero felt a tiny pang of resentment for his dead friend. Couldn't he have tried harder to escape? He didn't know what to think, he had been so alone... but now he had Zero, and he would never be alone again.  
  
//The people who got hurt deserved it.// Heero nodded his head slightly. //They supported Relena. They knew that she was wrong, but they supported her. They cheered when Duo died.// Heero had to admit that Zero was right. They had done all that, so they deserved whatever he did to them. But what about the other pilots? Surely there was no reason for him to hurt them. He had probably killed Wufei, and had threatened Trowa. They were all in the same situation weren't they? So why had he gone out of his way to hurt them?  
  
//They supported Relena.// Zero hissed, and Heero could feel the hate emanating from the voice. //They protected her, and they are searching for you right now, so they can bring you to justice.// Maybe they're misguided. Heero reasoned. Trowa didn't seem to understand what I was saying when I asked about Duo.  
  
//He has hidden within organizations many times.// Zero replied. //He fooled them into thinking he was loyal. You of all people should know that he is a good actor. He knew exactly what you were talking about because he was the one who turned Duo over to Relena.//  
  
Fine, Heero thought. I understand why we have to eliminate Trowa, but why should we try to kill Wufei and Quatre? Well, I already killed Wufei, but what about Quatre? He couldn't have done anything wrong could he? He's the pilot with the most innocence. I can't picture him doing anything against any of us pilots. //Quatre is the one who captured Duo.//  
  
What! Duo would be able to overpower Quatre easily. He was the weakest of the pilots. How could this have happened? //You don't need to be strong to slip a tranquilizer into someone's tea.// Zero said dryly. //Even Quatre could manage that.//  
  
Have they all abandoned me? Am I all alone? Heero asked desperately. Is there no one I can trust? He calmed down, as he felt Zero's presence grow, felt the familiar golden light surround him. He felt safe whenever Zero did this. All the problems of the world were far away whenever he was surrounded by the light. //Remember that you're never alone.// Zero said in comforting tone. //I will never abandon you.//  
  
The light receded, and Heero blinked rapidly, trying to adjust to his surroundings. "What's my mission?" He asked aloud. //Assassinate Trowa Barton, and lead the Preventors away from the doctors.// Where's the target? He thought, and Zero answered immediately. //He's at the mental institution on this colony.//  
  
"What?" Heero asked in a surprise voice, and Zero repeated what he had just said. "Is he insane?" //No, but his sister is.// "How?"  
  
//When you hit her in her trailer, you did considerable damage to her brain. She now has the mental capacity of a six year old.// Zero supplied and Heero snorted. Serves the bitch right. He ran his fingers over the new scars he had acquired on his 'visit' to L3. They had taken out the stitches yesterday, and they were still tender to the touch.  
  
Why isn't she in the hospital at L3? He wondered. //She was transferred here yesterday because the facilities are better here.// Zero informed him. Heero felt a strange pride for his colony, but pushed it away quickly. It didn't matter that L1 had a better hospital than L3. All that mattered was the mission, and this worked out to his advantage, because now he wouldn't even have to leave the colony.  
  
He grinned slightly as he walked out of the alley, before the sun set, Trowa would be dead, and another part of Relena would be dead. He'd said that he would kill her when they met four years ago, and now he would fulfill his promise, but it wouldn't be quick, like a bullet to the head. No, that was too good for her. He would kill Relena Dorlian a little bit at a time, and avenge Duo's death.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Trowa sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the hospital. It's almost like they want to make your stay as unpleasant as possible. He thought bitterly. He had been waiting for three hours to see his sister, and was beginning to get impatient. He had told Zechs what he had learned from Duo, and now there were Preventors everywhere on L1.  
  
He glanced at his watch. It was five o'clock, which meant that Quatre and Wufei would be here in thirty minutes. They had agreed to meet, and discuss what to do about Heero. Trowa had offered to meet them somewhere else, but Quatre had wanted to see how Catherine was doing. Trowa smiled slightly. He knew that Quatre had feelings for his sister, and he supposed that that should feel weird, but Trowa had no qualms with Quatre and Catherine together. At least if they were together, she would be with someone that could treat her like she deserved.  
  
"Mr. Barton?" Trowa looked up at the young nurse who had spoken. "Miss Bloom will see you now." Trowa stood up and followed her through the winding hallways until they reached Catherine's room. Trowa stepped inside, and stood a couple paces from the bed, not sure how to act.  
  
It was a nice enough room, he supposed, but it seemed so empty, so lifeless. There was no sign that his sister lived here and it bothered him. He was so deep in thought that he didn't hear her speak to him, he didn't even notice she was standing in front of him until she touched his arm.  
  
"Mister?" She said in a childish voice. "What's your name mister?" Trowa looked down at his sister with sad eyes. He missed her so much. The way she always teased him, and tried to set him up with girls from the audience. The way her eyes flashed when she was angry. He missed everything about her because no matter how much she looked like his sister, the girl in front of him was not Catherine.  
  
"Trowa," He answered her. "My name is Trowa." She giggled slightly, and pulled him over towards her bed. She sat down on it, and gestured for him to do the same. He sat across from her, and smiled slightly at her happy expression.  
  
"Trowa," she repeated his name a couple of times. "It's a nice name." She concluded happily. "I like it." Trowa pulled out two small parcels from his coat. "Are those gifts?" She asked, and squealed slightly when he nodded. "Are they for me?" She asked hopefully, and he nodded again, handing them to her.  
  
She opened the bigger one first, and gave a tiny delighted scream. "A doll!" She exclaimed. "I've wanted one so badly!" She looked up at him. "How did you know I wanted one?" Trowa explained that her nurse had told him. "Really?" Catherine asked, and Trowa nodded again. "She's so nice. She does my hair all pretty, and gives me candy when I'm a good girl."  
  
"Open your other present," Trowa urged her quietly. He was a little nervous to see what she would do with it. He wasn't supposed to bring things like that into the institution, but it had been a big part of her life, and he had to know if she remembered it. "Be careful." He warned her as she began to tear off the wrapping paper.  
  
"A knife?" She stared at the gleaming dagger. "I'm not supposed to have sharp things, I could get hurt." Despite what she had said, she picked up the knife, tracing the patterns on the handle. "It's very pretty though." With exaggerated care, she picked up the knife and placed it on the dresser beside her bed. "What's wrong?" She asked innocently.  
  
Trowa didn't know how to answer her. How could he tell her that had been her favourite knife, and that she had stabbed one of his friends with it? How could he possibly explain what she had been? How could he tell her that she wasn't who she was supposed to be? She was supposed to be a willful, outgoing woman, not an obedient, shy child. She was all wrong! But how could he tell her that?  
  
"Don't be sad," Catherine crawled onto his lap. "I'll tell you a story to make you feel better okay?" Trowa looked down at her, and brushed a strand of hair back from her face.  
  
"Okay," He whispered to her, and hugged her close. No matter what happened to her, he couldn't stop loving her, and despite all his worries, he knew that whether she acted like she was twenty-two or if she acted like she was six, he would love her just the same.  
  
"Once upon a time," Catherine began softly. "There was a little mermaid, who had fallen in love with a human prince. She was terribly sad because she could not be with him, and she went to a sea witch to get legs, so she could be with her beloved. The sea witch agreed to help her, but there was one condition. She would have legs, but every time she walked, it would feel like she was walking on broken glass."  
  
Trowa relaxed into the story, Catherine had told it to him once. To help him fall asleep after he'd had a nightmare of the war. If he closed his eyes, he could almost believe that they were in his trailer, and nothing was wrong with her. "The little mermaid accepted the witch's condition, and she turned into a human. She would weep at night because of the pain in her feet, but it was all worth it because she got to dance with the prince. . ." She trailed off, staring at the door, her eyes wide.  
  
"What happened next?" Trowa asked in an attempt to get her to talk.  
  
"The prince forgot her," a harsh voice came from the doorway, and Trowa gently placed Catherine on the bed before standing up to face the intruder. He turned to find a gun aimed at his forehead, and his eyes grew wide. An assasin! Trowa studied the man in front of him. He didn't know who he was, but they would've had to be good to get down the hall without making any noise. Platinum blond hair cut short. . . Trowa frowned. This man seemed familiar, but he didn't know where he had seen him before. He looked at the man's face, and recognised the cold blue eyes that stared back at him.  
  
"Heero!" He cried, and stepped in front of Catherine to protect her. The assassin smirked, and walked further into the room, closing the door behind him. He locked it, never fully turning his back to Trowa. His smirk grew as he walked closer towards the siblings and Catherine whimpered in fear.  
  
"Bad man," she whispered fervently. "He's a bad, bad man." She buried her face in her hands. "Make him go away Trowa," she pleaded. "He's scaring me."  
  
Heero pretended to be hurt by her words. "I'm sorry for scaring you, little one." He said mockingly. "Finish telling Trowa your story, don't let me interrupt." Catherine was silent, so he continued in the same mocking tone. "No?" He pretended to be shocked. "Let me finish for you." He insisted, and Catherine backed away until her back hit the wall. "The prince forgot her, and married a different woman. And she became so sad that she threw herself into the sea, but since she wasn't a mermaid any longer, she drowned."  
  
His expression became serious. "I always liked that story because it had a more realistic ending than any other fairytales. There's no 'happily ever after'." His finger twitched on the trigger, and Trowa stiffened slightly. Heero smirked at him. "No 'happily ever after'." He repeated, an insane look in his eyes. "Just like real life."  
  
Author's Note: Loved it? Hated it? Wish that I would die a slow and painful death? Tell me! 


	7. The Murder

Deceptions Part 7: The Murder  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks to all of you for my reviews, and the death threats :p. I'm glad you're all liking my story. Once again, I'm having problems at home, and I'm not quite satisfied with what I've written. This chapter seemed more than a little rushed, but I can't think of any way to slow it down. Tell me if you have any ideas or complaints/suggestions. I might be re-writing this chapter later on.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing  
  
Relena sat forlornly in her tiny cell, admiring the bruises she had earned. He had tried to kiss her again, and she had kneed Him in the groin. She idly traced one of the bigger ones on her face. She liked the bruises. They were her protection because He refused to touch her when she was hurt. He didn't like her when she was flawed. She knew that it was only a matter of time before He wouldn't care, but she would postpone it for as long as she could.  
  
She sighed quietly. So this is what she had been reduced to. To relying on bruises to keep her safe. She would have laughed if it wasn't so pathetic. She was the leader of a nation, and known all over the Earth Sphere, she knew that if she could get free, someone would give her aid. He kept her in a tiny cell, and the only other person she saw were her guards. Relena buried her face in her hands. No one knew she was here.  
  
"Oh Heero," she whispered to the darkness. "Why?" She would give almost anything to know the answer. Why would Heero do this? She still couldn't figure it out. It had almost become an obsession with her. She had to know why he was doing theses things, why he had sold her to Him. She heard a noise from the hallway, and looked around futilely for a place to hide. You're a fool. She told herself bitterly. You cannot hide from Him. You will never escape from Him.  
  
Relena composed herself, and stood up, not wanting to be seen as lower than him. It was her tiny way of defying Him, and she always felt better when she stood while meeting with Him. Her door was flung open, and He walked in. She stared at Him cooly, and didn't flinch when He came over to her, and ran Hs hand over her face.  
  
"You are healing quickly." He said happily. "You are stronger than I thought." She stiffened slightly when He ran a hand through her hair. "The others took much longer to heal than this. At this rate you should be back to normal in about a week!" He smiled at her. "This calls for a celebration. Go with the guard to the bathroom to clean up. When you return I will have a surprise for you."  
  
She smiled slightly at His stupidity. Did He honestly believe that she would forgive him for what He had done, for what He would do, because of a surprise. She resisted the urge to laugh in His face. Laughing at Him would do nothing more than make Him angry, and she did not want another beating. She fought the urge to laugh again, but this time, she was laughing at herself. How weak she was! Giving in to Him so easily. "I'm weak," she whispered and His head snapped back to look at her, a serious look replacing His cheerful one.  
  
"What did you say, my dear?" He asked in a dangerous tone. Relena trembled slightly under His gaze, and thought of different stories that she could tell Him. Had He actually heard her? "You said you were weak." His eyes narrowed. "What did you mean?"  
  
"I-" Relena wracked her brain for an excuse. "I just meant that I'm not feeling very well." She lied smoothely. "I'm afraid I have a bit of a headache." He looked at her in concern, and she stood silently, writhing slightly under the intensity of His gaze.  
  
"Perhaps a hot bath will make you feel better," He said softly, and led her out of her cell, and down the hall to a small bathroom. He nodded to the female attendant, and told her to run a bath. Then He turned to Relena, and reached out, tracing her cheekbones with His finger. "I will come to see you again when you're fully healed." She shuddered when He touched her, and He mistook her reaction for pleasure. "Be patient, darling." He whispered into her ear. "We will be together soon."  
  
Relena let out a sigh of relief as she watched Him walk away. She turned to the attendant, and saw a frown on her face. Relena opened her mouth to speak, but the attendant cut her off. "I know what you're going to ask me." She looked at Relena with pity in her eyes. "But I cannot help you escape." She watched as Relena's face contorted in despair.  
  
"Why?" She managed to choke out. "I can't stay here. He'll use me until He's bored with me, and then He'll kill me. I have so much I want to do." She grabbed the attendant's hands. "You have to help me! I can't die here!"  
  
"I can't help you miss," the attendant gently freed herself from Relena's grasp. "He'll kill me if I do. I truly am sorry." She pushed Relena towards the now filled bathtub, and sat on a small chair beside it. Relena didn't make a move to undress, and the attendant reached out towards her. "Is something wrong miss?" She asked in a concerned voice.  
  
"I can't take a bath while you're here," Relena replied in a slightly condescending tone. "You'll have to leave."  
  
"I can't," the attendant explained. "My job is to watch you in situations where it wouldn't be proper for the guards to be with you." She flushed slightly at Relena's arched eyebrow. "To make sure that you don't commit suicide or find a weapon of some sort. I'm sorry." She said again.  
  
Relena sighed and stripped quickly, stepping into the bathtub and sitting in the warm water. She took her time washing, she hadn't washed since Heero had kidnapped her, and nearly laughed at the thought of how bad she must smell. She was surprised that He could stand to touch her. She let herself relax for the first time since her capture, and felt the tension in her shoulders flowing away. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them, she nearly had a heart attack.  
  
Heero was standing in front of her, smirking slightly. "What do you want?" She asked angrily, and stood up to face him, forgetting her current state of dress. His smirk grew as he eyed her body, and she squawked indignantly grabbing a towel to cover herself. Red tinged her cheeks as she wrapped the towel around her body. "What do you want?" She asked again.  
  
He seemed disturbed about something, and she reached out for him, but he flinched away angrily. "It wasn't me." He growled at her, and backed away he hit the wall. "All those things. the murders, your kidnapping. I never wanted to do them!"  
  
Relena closed the distance between them and slapped him. She gave a satisfied smile at the resounding crack her palm made against his face. He lifted his hand to his stinging cheek, and smiled sadly at her. "Something's happening to me. I don't understand." He explained quietly, and then stiffened. "Holes in my memory. bright light.that voice." His eyes flashed with recognition. "Zero's back!"  
  
"Stop making excuses!" Relena yelled at him angrily. "You were the one who put me here! You were the one who sold me to Him. Why should I listen to your lies anymore?" She wanted to hurt him. To make him feel the same pain she had for the last three weeks. Heero remained silent, and she grabbed him by his shirt collar. "I asked you a question!" He didn't answer, and Relena realized that she was shaking him. She released his shirt, and backed away from him. "Why should I listen to your reasoning for the things you've done?"  
  
"I don't have a reason for any of the things I've done." Heero said quietly, and for the first time, Relena realized that he was wearing shackles. "I enjoyed it," He looked at her sadly. "I thrived on the fear." He closed his eyes and lost himself in memory. "I laughed at them when they begged for their lives, laughed when they cried because I had killed their children."  
  
Relena began to hear whispers, and looked at Heero to make sure that she wasn't going crazy. He looked the same as always, but she noticed that his hands were trembling, and his eyes had a lost look in them. "Murderer." They said, and became louder and louder until they filled the room, and Relena covered her ears to block out the hateful sounds.  
  
Heero reached out a tentative hand to her, she stared at him in disbelief before taking it and letting him pull her close to him. "It's an execution." He whispered and hugged her tighter to him. Relena sighed slightly and relaxed into his embrace.  
  
"Heero," she whispered. "What's going on?" She had to know. Why was he back here? "Are you here to save me?" He released her, not answering either of her questions. "Answer me Heero!" He reached up and traced her cheekbones with finger just like He had, but she felt none of the revulsion she had felt earlier. Only contentment. She looked at him, and saw confusion in his eyes. "You haven't answered me yet." She persisted.  
  
Heero reached for her, and pulled her close to him again. Relena closed her eyes, surendering to his embrace once again. He leaned close to her ear, and whispered. "I love-"  
  
"Miss?" Relena opened her eyes, and found herself lying in the bathtub again, the attendant was shaking her gently. "Miss you have to go back to your cell now." Relena looked around bewilderedly, and wanted to cry in frustration. It was a dream! He hadn't been here! She let the attendant dress her, and lead her back to her cell. Still trying to process the fact that it had only been a dream. Am I going crazy? she wondered, and sat down on her bed.  
  
The attendant bowed to her, and left, closing the door behind her. Relena looked around her small cell, and was startled when she saw a package on her bed. What was it? She tried to think of a reason there was a present on her bed. Oh yes, He said that He would leave a surprise. She reached for it tentatively, and ripped off the bow, pulling off the lid in the process.  
  
"Oh God," she managed to say. Had He done this on purpose? How could He have known? Maybe Heero had told Him. . . She didn't want to think of it anymore. She reached into the box, and pulled out a small bear. How could He have known? She threw it against the wall. She already had one, she didn't need another.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Where is he?" Wufei growled angrily, and looked at his watch. "He's late." He hated people who weren't punctual. He wanted to end this meeting as quickly as possible so he could get back to Sally. He spent every waking hour with her, but it wasn't enough. He felt like he could have done something. Maybe if he had shot Heero, this never would've happened.  
  
"He's only ten minutes late," Quatre reasoned. "And besides, it's not like this happens very often. He's usually on time. He probably just wants to spend a little more time with Catherine."  
  
Wufei relaxed slightly at the wisdom of the blonde's words. He had been selfish. He wasn't the only one who had lost someone in the bombing. Quatre had lost his sister, but he seemed to be holding up all right. "How are you doing?" he asked and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.  
  
"I'm doing better," Quatre said with a sad smile. "I figure that Iria wouldn't want me to be sad about her forever, but -" His eyes hardened, and grew cold. "That won't stop me from missing her. When I find Heero -" He was interrupted by Wufei's cell phone.  
  
Wufei answered it and listened intently for a few minutes before losing his patience. "Just get to the point!" He yelled into the phone, and as he listened again, his face paled. "Are you sure?" He asked, and listened once more, before snapping the phone shut. "Trowa's in trouble." He said to Quatre and sprinted down the hallway.  
  
"What?" Quatre said in a shocked tone as he fell into stride beside Wufei. "What's going to happen to him?"  
  
"It seems that Yuy got another mission." Wufei said quietly. "We just heard that he was spotted around here, sneaking into a room on this floor, and Trowa is the only person that he could possibly be after." His hands clenched. "We're going to get him this time." He promised, and saw Quatre nodding.  
  
"He won't hurt anyone anymore." Quatre said as they reached Catherine's room, and burst through the door. His face fell when he saw all the blood. It was soaking the floor, and his eyes followed the trail of it to a figure with a knife in his back. "No," he whispered. "We're too late."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Trowa looked impassively at Heero, hiding his emotions behind a façade of calm. How had he gotten in here? He wanted to ask, but figured that Heero wouldn't appreciate it. "Don't hurt her." He ordered the other pilot, and felt fear beginning to rise up in him when Heero's smirk grew. "She is not involved with this."  
  
"What does that matter?" Heero asked him. "I still owe her for my new scars." He looked past Trowa, and stared at the trembling girl. He licked his lips unconsciously. "I can't leave her out of this." She flinched slightly at his words, and huddled behind her brother. "It's a pity that she won't understand my reasoning for killing her though."  
  
"You put her in a mental ward," Trowa said quietly. "Isn't that enough?" Heero shook his head slightly, and Trowa lost his temper. "What will be enough then? How many innocents are going to die before you're satisfied?" He grunted as a bullet lodged itself in his arm. "I thought you didn't want to kill anymore, Heero."  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed into slits. "Shut up!" He yelled and lunged at the other pilot. Trowa gasped slightly as Heero's hand tightened around his throat. "Don't say a word." He cautioned. "Or I may have to hurt you." He realized that the other man was not afraid and smirked slightly. "Or her."  
  
"What does that matter?" Trowa snorted. "You're going to kill us anyway. I might as well tell you what I think about you before I die." Trowa bit back a groan when Heero threw him against the wall. "You're a coward." His words became more strained as Heero's hands tightened around his neck. "You're afraid of what will happen to you because the world doesn't need you any more. Why else would you hold on to the life of a soldier?" Black spots began to dance in front of his eyes, and he struggled to breathe. He lashed out at Heero, punching him as hard as he could, but Heero remained unaffected.  
  
"I'll kill you all!" Heero snarled at him. "And when you're all dead, she'll die too." He had an insane looked in his eyes. "I won't just kill her, I'll destroy her! Everything about her! She'll pay for what she's done!"  
  
Trowa began to see black at the edges of his vision, and was saying a silent goodbye to his sister when the pressure on his neck dissapeared. What? He raised a hand to his bruised throat. Why did he let go? He looked up at Heero, and saw a pained look on his face. He felt a strange wetness on his leg and reached down to touch it. Blood?  
  
Heero groaned and collapsed to the floor, a dagger sticking out of his back. "Catherine?" Trowa looked at the huddled figure. "Catherine did you do this?" She was trembling violently, and recoiled from him when he reached for her. "Please talk to me." She looked up at him, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"I kilt him," she said in her childish voice. "You were in trouble, and I wanted to help you. . . I picked up the present you brought me, and I threw it at him." She looked away from him. "I kilt him Trowa. I'm a murderer." She whimpered slightly as he pulled her into his arms. "I'm a murderer." She buried her face in his chest, and he stroked her hair, trying to soothe her.  
  
"No," he whispered to her. "You saved me, you're not a murderer." He pointed to Heero. "He's a bad man, and you saved me." She shook her head violently, and she broke away from his embrace. Trowa reached for her again, but she evaded his grasp.  
  
"I kilt him." She whispered to herself again. "I'm a murderer." And buried her face in her hands. He tried to comfort her, but she would have none of it. She let out a shocked gasp as Quatre and Wufei burst into the room.  
  
"No," Trowa heard Quatre whisper. "We're too late." He wanted to scream in frustration. How were they going to find Relena now? "What happened?" Quatre asked bewilderedly. "Who did it?"  
  
"Catherine saved my life," Trowa said, and sighed. "But at what price? All she'll say now is that she killed him, and that she's a murderer." He looked sadly at his big sister, who was huddled on the bed, whispering to herself.  
  
"You did explain to her that she's not, right?" Quatre asked, and Trowa nodded. "I will do all I can for her. We'll find a way to bring her back."  
  
"No," Trowa shook his head. "You've done more than your share, when you sent her to this hospital. If it wasn't for you, I would still be trying to find the money to put her here. I don't know how I can repay you."  
  
"No repayment is necessary," Quatre grinned. "You're my friend, and what's the point of having money if you don't use it to help out your friends?" His face became serious. "Besides, I want to help her. It hurts me to see her like this, and I know that it breaks your heart. Let me help you."  
  
Trowa nodded gratefully, and was about to say something when Wufei spoke. "I hate to break up your little meeting, but what are we going to do with him?" he asked with a sneer, and pointed at Heero's body. "The bastard finally got what he deserved." He looked up them expectantly. "So what do we do now?"  
  
Author's Note: Was it too rushed? Was there anything that you really liked/disliked? Feel free to tell me. Oh yeah, and FYI in Relena's dream, the dialogue may have seemed familiar. That's because it is. It's taken from what Heero says in the first chapter. There is a reason for this, and it will be explained later on. And if you were wondering about why I always referred to her owner as "Him" with a capital "H", there is also a reason, and it will also be explained later. 


	8. The Lie

Deceptions Part 8: The Lie By Symee-Sama  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the reviews! Sorry this chapter took so long. I had a hell of a time writing some parts of it.  
  
Quatre sat in one of the hard plastic chairs in the hospital waiting room. You would think that they would try to make your stay a bit nicer. He thought quietly. Considering all the time that some people had to sit here. Maybe he could do something to help! Maybe he could make a small donation to the hospital, and they would replace these chairs with some nicer ones. But what about the other hospitals? Maybe small donations to each of the hospitals in the area.  
  
Quatre shook himself from his reverie. Had he really spent the last two hours thinking about hospital chairs? He glanced at his watch. No, he hadn't. He had spent the last three hours thinking about hospital chairs. He reached for the nurse as she walked by him. "Excuse me, miss." He said politely. "Could you tell me how my friend is?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Winner." She said without any apology in her voice. "The doctors are very busy. You will just have to have some patience." She said and walked away.  
  
"Patience?" Quatre watched her leave, dumbfounded. "Three hours without a complaint, and I'm impatient?" He'd had enough with patience. He walked over to the front desk, and asked to see the registry. He quickly scanned the pages. "Bargos. Barry.Barton! Room 216." Quatre thanked the nurse, and made his way to Trowa's room.  
  
"Trowa?" he knocked hesitantly before entering the room. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"How do I feel?" Trowa laughed. "I have a bullet in my arm!" Quatre took a good look at his friend. The blood had been cleaned away, and bandaged, but the bandages had long been soaked through. The bruises on his throat hadn't been treated yet, and when Trowa spoke, his voice was raspy. "Hospitals are so efficient these days." He glared at the doctor as he entered the room. "What took you so long?"  
  
Quatre laughed for a moment at the doctor's discomfort before becoming serious again. "You have been sitting for three hours with a bullet in your arm?" Trowa nodded, and Quatre frowned. "That won't do. Come on. Hurry up." He scolded the doctor. "We've wasted too much time here."  
  
"We should have gone to the Preventors medical centre with Wufei." Trowa remarked. "They would've helped us much quicker." Quatre nodded. "Why didn't we go with him?"  
  
"Because the ambulance came and took you away before we could go with them, and I wasn't going to leave you alone." Quatre explained. "We were both in shock, I think. Wufei told me that we were talking about Catherine's hospital bills after I burst in."  
  
Trowa gave him a troubled look. "I wonder how Relena is." He said sadly. "Is she even alive?"  
  
"Don't think like that." Quatre admonished him. "Relena's strong! She'll make it through this!" His expression fell. "I have to believe that she will make it through this!"  
  
"Quatre," Trowa began. "It's been over a month, and we haven't even got a lead." He grimaced slightly when the doctor pulled the bullet from his shoulder. "There isn't much chance that she's alive. Heero was our last resort, and he's dead."  
  
"No he's not." Quatre said vehemently, and continued before Trowa could protest. "I could feel it. He was still alive. The Preventors will realise it." Trowa was confused for a moment before he realised that Quatre was talking about the 'ability' he had to feel the pain, and sense the feelings of others.  
  
"Was he dying?" Trowa asked, and Quatre shook his head.  
  
"He might have if they just left him there, but Heero is strong. He'll survive, and then he can tell us where Relena is." Quatre's eyes narrowed. "And then he'll pay for all the things that he's done." Trowa noticed the sadness in the blonde's eyes, and remembered that Quatre had lost a sister. "I miss her, Trowa. Why did she have to die?"  
  
The doctor finished bandaging Trowa's shoulder, and handed him some cream. "Apply this to your neck, and the bruises should fade in a couple of hours." He said solemnly, and walked out of the room, leaving the two young men alone.  
  
Trowa placed his hand on Quatre's shoulder. "Let's get out of here." He suggested. "We've wasted enough time. We should go to Wufei and find out what's going on." Quatre nodded and the two friends walked out of the hospital.  
  
"If we have to visit there again," Quatre smiled slightly. "I'm going to donate money so they can buy new chairs." And for the second time that day, Trowa laughed.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Heero's eyes snapped open. Where was he? He scanned the room quickly. A hospital. Probably a military one. He tried to move his arms, and realised that he had been strapped down. Damn it! He had failed both missions. He hadn't been able to kill Barton, and the doctors were still in danger of being discovered. Even worse he had been captured, and stabbed. Again.  
  
That bitch, he seethed. He had been so close to killing Barton, and then she had to interfere again. And now he had another scar. That was what, the fourth time he'd been stabbed within the space of a week? If the situation hadn't been so dangerous, he would have laughed. The perfect soldier had fallen. He had messed up. How could he have misjudged so badly?  
  
//It was an unforeseen circumstance.// Heero suppressed the urge to smile when Zero entered his mind. //You could have done nothing to prevent it. Who would have thought that the girl would have a knife? Or that she would still be able to throw it in her condition?//  
  
Heero relaxed, and submitted to the familiar golden light. Everything was all right now because Zero was there, and he would know what to do, how to escape. Zero? He spoke tentatively in his mind. What are we going to do?  
  
//There is nothing that we can do at the moment.// Zero told him. //You will have to wait, and when the time is right, you will escape. All you have to do is not give any information about the Vice Foreign Minister, and you will not have failed your mission.//  
  
Heero resisted the urge to laugh. Like I would, he replied. That bitch is going to get what's coming to her. But what about the doctors? Are they all right?  
  
//Now that they've found you, the Preventors have stopped searching L1. The doctors are safe, but they are counting on you to make sure that you don't talk.//  
  
They have no reason to worry. Heero reassured him. They won't break me. They'll kill me before I talk. I won't fail you or the doctors again.  
  
//Good.// Zero's voice faded away in his head, and the golden light receded. Heero heard footsteps, and closed his eyes, schooling his breathing as someone entered the room. He heard the heavy footsteps walk up to the table he was strapped to.  
  
"Stop faking, Yuy." Zechs said calmly. "I saw your eyes open a moment ago." He heard the other man pull a chair beside the table. "Here's the deal. We'll treat you nicely if you tell me where my sister is." Zechs leaned over the bed. "But if you don't." Zechs pressed his thumb into Heero's shoulder and smiled slightly when the younger man stiffened, and clenched his teeth.  
  
"Do what you want." Heero said through clenched teeth. Relena would die, even if he wasn't the one to do it, she would die. As long as he didn't tell them where she was, the doctors would make sure that she was disposed of when her owner was finished with her. "It won't help you. Besides ESUN laws state that a prisoner must not be mistreated."  
  
"A dead man is outside the law." Zechs said with a grin. "And Relena is well-liked, no one will object to the methods we use. I've been waiting a long time for this day." He pulled out a small patch and placed it on Heero's arm. "Modern science is wonderful isn't it? Now, you don't need a needle to administer medicine, you only need this patch."  
  
"You drugged me!" Heero accused the older man, and groaned softly when the room seemed to spin around him. Darkness was starting to gather on the edges of his vision, and with the last of his strength he spat out his defiance. "Damn you." He snarled before his eyes rolled back into his head, and the world went black.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"The mission was a failure." Professor G observed blandly. "The experiment was a failure. Your perfect soldier was captured. Our lives are in jeopardy now." He waited for a response from the other man, but when he received none, he continued. "We should leave this colony."  
  
"Have you forgotten what we're here for, G?" Doctor J stared at him pointedly clacking the fingers of his mechanical arm together. "Our lives are meaningless in the grand scheme of things. The only thing that truly matters is the experiment, and that has not failed!"  
  
"But 01 was captured!" Professor G said mildly. "The perfect soldier shouldn't allow himself to get captured." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "We should've chosen Duo." He grumbled. "He was affected much worse by the Zero system."  
  
"Duo Maxwell had too many connections, and would be missed." J pointed out. "Heero disappears so often, that it wasn't unusual when he went missing. Everyone thought that he didn't want to be found, and didn't bother to look for him. That is the reason we chose Heero Yuy, G. Not because he was my protégé." He smiled wickedly. "Besides, the experiment has not failed. Heero Yuy was the perfect soldier. He had no problems handling 03, even though he had three barely healed stab wounds."  
  
"But still- " G began, but was cut off by the doctor's upraised claw.  
  
"It was due to unforeseen circumstances that 01 was captured. We didn't realise that 03's sister was still capable of wounding our soldier and we dismissed her. It's our fault that the boy was taken by the Preventors. I'm actually surprised that he's still alive."  
  
"But how can we continue the experiment?" G asked. "There is no way that we can send him on missions when he's strapped down to a table!"  
  
"The whole point of the experiment was to see the effect that the Zero implant would have on a person." Doctor J began tiredly. "It had nothing to do with the missions. This experiment was designed to prove that we could manipulate the actions of a conscious person through artificial brain waves, and reconstructed memories." He gestured towards the equipment all around him. "That was a success, and since we can't use 01 anymore, I see no reason why we shouldn't test the Zero system's highest frequencies."  
  
"That could do serious damage to the mind of the pilot." G warned needlessly. "You could destroy what's left of Heero Yuy."  
  
"I stopped caring about Heero Yuy a long time ago." Doctor J brushed aside the warning, and turned back to his console to study the brain patterns after the last hallucination, an estranged look in his eyes. "All that matters now is the experiment."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Duo smiled happily, and hugged his girlfriend closer to his chest. God, he had missed her. Having her back made him feel like he was whole again. He wanted to hold her tight and never let her go, but- he had lost all feeling in his arms, so.  
  
"Hilde," he whispered to her, and she moaned softly in her sleep, unconsciously hugging him tighter. "Hilde," Duo said again. "Come on, we've got to get up." He tried to move her off his lap and on to the couch, but she held tight. "C'mon, we gotta move sometime."  
  
"Why?" came the sleepy reply, and Duo laughed softly before replying.  
  
"Because my arms and legs have gone numb." He explained, and she grudgingly moved off of him. "Hey, Hilde. I've got an idea." Duo informed her as he walked awkwardly around the room, trying to force some feeling into his legs. "How 'bout the next time we decide to take a nap, I sit on your lap." He smirked at her, and she threw a pillow at him, which he dodged easily.  
  
"Hil," he began quietly, looking at the floor. "Why did you come back?"  
  
"I realised that you were right." She explained as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "This doesn't seem like the Heero you were talking about, and yeah, I know people can change, but this is kinda drastic isn't it?"  
  
"That's exactly what I said before!" Duo said and crossed his arms. "Why didn't you agree with me then?"  
  
"Because I was angry!" Hilde shot back, her temper rising. "My friends had been seriously hurt in a terrorist attack, and then I find out the terrorist is your best friend! How am I supposed to feel?" She asked and he shrugged his shoulders. He still didn't know how to feel about this whole mess. "I just couldn't deal. So, you were right. I was wrong. Let's leave it at that."  
  
"Life would be a lot easier if you would just admit that I'm always right." Duo smiled at her, and she punched him playfully. "What? I was serious!" He said with his most innocent look, and she threw another pillow at him, which hit him in the head. "Ouch." He held his head in his hands. "I think you've killed me!" He fell to the floor in an exaggerated death pose.  
  
Hilde laughed. "Get up you idiot!" She moved to the kitchen, and grabbed a pair of scissors. "Or I'll cut off your braid!"  
  
Duo was up in a flash, and backed away from the small woman in front of him. "Now Hilde." He began nervously. "Let's not do anything hasty." He held up his hands in mock surrender, and was about to dash past her, when the vid-phone rang.  
  
"I'll get it!" Hilde said, and ran to pick it up.  
  
"Figures," Duo ran a hand through his bangs. "She's been back for less than a couple hours, and she's already taken control of the phone." He heard Hilde calling his name, and turned to face her. "What's that?" He asked.  
  
"Quatre's on the phone!" Hilde called to him, and he ran into the other room. Maybe Quatre had some information about the kidnapping! He ran into his room, and after shutting the door, he switched on the video and audio feeds for the phone. "What's up Quatre?" He asked quickly. "Did anything happen?"  
  
"Yeah," Quatre began. "Something really big - "  
  
"Well, c'mon!" Duo interrupted him. "Don't keep me in suspense!"  
  
"Don't interrupt me, and I won't." Quatre smiled, and Duo pretended to zip his lips. "That's better. Heero attacked Trowa."  
  
"What!" Duo yelled, and Quatre groaned in frustration.  
  
"Would you stop interrupting me?" He asked, and when Duo nodded he continued. "He didn't manage to kill him though." He saw Duo open his mouth, and held up a hand to silence him. "He tried to choke Trowa to death, but he was stabbed before he could finish."  
  
"By who?" Duo asked.  
  
"By Catherine." Quatre said quietly. "She threw a knife at him."  
  
"So is she back to normal then?" Duo asked him hopefully, and grimaced when he saw Quatre shake his head.  
  
"No," Quatre told him. "She's much worse now." Duo felt like he had been punched. She could get worse? She was already acting like a child. What could be worse? "Yes, she can get worse. Now she only says that she's a murderer, and that she killed Heero." Duo looked at him strangely. Had he just used that weird telepathic thing of his?  
  
"Yes I did." Quatre confirmed, and Duo had to stop himself from gaping. "Don't worry, I won't do it to you anymore." He promised. "I read Heero's mind while he was unconscious- "  
  
"You mean he's not dead?" Duo exclaimed and when the blonde man nodded he want to cheer. "We can find out what's wrong with him!"  
  
"Um.." Quatre started to look uncomfortable. "We've already got an idea of what made him kidnap Relena." He began, and when Duo urged him to continue, he flushed slightly. "I don't know how to say this, but the reason he did it."  
  
"Spit it out!" Duo yelled, and Quatre flinched slightly.  
  
"He thinks that Relena killed you." Quatre said, and then frowned. "Duo?" But Duo couldn't hear. He was already out the door and sprinting down the hall.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Heero woke to Zechs touching his arm. What? He opened his eyes slightly before groaning and closing them again. Zechs' face was not a fun thing to wake up to. "Don't touch me." Heero growled, and felt relief wash over him as the older man moved his hand away.  
  
"Calm down, Yuy." Zechs sneered. "I'm just getting rid of the patch." Heero moved his arms experimentally and realised that he wasn't tied up. The fool! Did he expect him to just sit here, and let them try to extract information from him? He nearly laughed at the older man's stupidity as he lashed out, punching Zechs in the stomach.  
  
Zechs doubled over, and Heero sprinted towards the door, only to be thrown back into the room by Wufei. "Did you really think that we'd let you get away that easily?" The Chinese man sneered, pulled out his gun, aiming it at Heero. "Take a seat," he gestured towards a metal chair with leather bindings on it, and Heero sat down, letting Zechs strap him down.  
  
"Now, Yuy," Zechs began. "Where's my little sister?" Heero looked at him blankly. "Where's Relena?" He grabbed Heero's shirt. "I know you can tell me!" Heero expression didn't change, and Wufei snorted.  
  
"What did you drug him with?" He asked, and holstered his gun. "He's completely out of it." He waved his hand in front of Heero's face, but the pilot couldn't see him.  
  
Zero? Heero called tentatively. Are you there?  
  
There was no answer, and Heero called louder, until his mental cries became so loud that they seemed to echo inside his head. But still, Zero didn't come. There was no reassuring voice. No golden light to protect him, and for the first time in months, Heero felt like he was alone. Zero!  
  
Heero started to sweat. He said he wouldn't leave. He'd promised! He'd said he wouldn't leave. Zero! Where are you? He called over and over again. Had he been abandoned? Had Zero abandoned him because he'd been captured? He was alone. Heero wanted to scream. Zero had said that he'd never be alone!  
  
"Yuy!" The sound of Zechs' voice, and the sting of the blow to his jaw brought Heero back to reality. "What the hell happened?"  
  
"I'm alone." Heero said softly, and hung his head. "He promised."  
  
"What?" Wufei was beyond confused. "What the hell are you talking about Yuy?" He asked, but Heero ignored him. He looked at Zechs, who shrugged his shoulders. "Answer me!" He grabbed Heero's shirt and pulled Heero as far out of the chair as the restraints would allow. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"Leave him alone," came a voice from the hallway, and Heero's head snapped up so violently, Wufei was surprised that he hadn't hurt his neck.  
  
"Duo?" Heero's voice was hoarse as he watched the braided pilot walk into the room. "No! You're dead!" He averted his gaze and stared at the floor. "I saw you die!"  
  
Duo walked over to him, kneeling until he was eye level with his best friend. He smirked slightly. "You of all people should know that you can't kill death."  
  
Author's Note: What did ya think? 


	9. The Request

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Deceptions Part 9: The Request

By Symee-Sama

Author's Note: Hey! Sorry that it took so long! I've been loaded down with homework the last couple weeks, and haven't had much time to write. This is sort of a filler chapter, but there's a lot of Duo in it! : p And Heero too. 

WARNINGS: Mild language

Heero looked at Duo in shock. "You're dead!" He repeated. "I saw you die!" He strained against his restraints, trying to reach his friend. He looked around the room with unseeing eyes. "You can't be real." He seemed like he was trying to convince himself that it was true. "I watched her kill you!" 

Duo ran a hand through his bangs, and knelt down beside his friend. "Heero buddy, you're not making any sense." He grabbed a knife from his boot and cut the straps around Heero's arms. "Come on, let's get you out of these things." He placed the knife back in its sheathe, and gently pried Heero's fingers from their death grip around the chair. "You've sure made a mess of everything."

"You're dead." Heero repeated vacantly. "Everything I did was justified." His hands clenched into fists until the knuckles were white. "She has to pay for what she's done." He grinned maniacally. "Relena will pay for what she's done!" 

"What has she done?" Duo asked angrily. "Nothing! She's done nothing to earn your hatred, nothing to earn your treatment of her!" He grabbed Heero's shoulders and shook him. "So why did you kidnap her? What did you do to her?" Heero stared at him blankly, and Duo sighed in frustration. "Could you at least tell me why you kidnapped her?"

"Because she killed you –" Heero started when he realised what he was saying. "I watched you bleed to death." His eyes seemed to focus on Duo for the first time. "But you're here. You're right here. Are you real?" 

"Of course I'm real!" Duo said indignantly. "Damn it Heero! I'm not dead! Relena didn't kill me!" He gestured wildly. "What do I have to do to convince you?" Heero shook his head, and Duo could hear him mumbling about the dead, and Relena. "That's it." Duo lost his temper, and punched Heero across the face. "Was that real enough for you?" Duo asked angrily.

Heero buried his head in his hands. "You're not real." He said miserably. "I watched you die. He told me that you died." He looked up, his eyes going dead, and his voice returning to its cold monotone. "He doesn't lie, so you're not real." His head snapped to the side as Duo punched him again.

"What is it going to take to convince you that I'm real? Whatever this guy told you is wrong!" He sighed as Heero rubbed his cheek sullenly. "Do I look like a walking corpse to you?" He waited for an answer, but none came. "Heero?" He noticed that his friend's eyes had glazed over. "Are ya there?" He waved his hand in front of Heero's face. 

"He did it again?" Wufei asked incredulously. "He did this just before you burst in Maxwell." He said as he dragged Heero to his feet. "Come on, we should bring him to his cell." He staggered a little under Heero's weight, and walked slowly, half-carrying, half dragging Heero out of the room.

"Would it kill you to ask for some help, Wufei?" Duo smirked as he grabbed Heero's arm, and placed it over his shoulder.  "For someone so skinny, he's pretty heavy." Wufei barely managed to stop himself from sighing; whenever Duo got nervous or shocked, he tended to babble. Liked he was doing now. Wufei gritted his teeth, don't lose your temper he told himself. Don't lose your temper. 

"…I'm sorta honoured actually," Duo was oblivious to Wufei's inner struggle. "Ya know, that he would be so worried about me, but I don't know why he would lash out at Relena. Heero never accepts anyone at their word, he always does back-up checks, and makes sure that he knows all he can about the topic. So why did he accept this guy's word? I mean, he would've had to because he would only have to search for me in the Preventor's Database, which we know he can hack into, to find out that I'm alive and well."

"Why does this matter, Maxwell?" Wufei asked impatiently. He was already annoyed with the braided man. "Yuy's lost it. That display in the other room should have convinced you of that. He's obviously gone crazy."

"Have a little faith Wufei. " Duo smirked. "I know that something's wrong with him. If anything, the display in the other room should have convinced you of that. If he's snapped, then what made him lose his mind? What on Earth's Sphere could have made him believe that the Princess of pacifism killed me? I just doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense, Maxwell." Wufei said in a frustrated tone when they reached Heero's cell. "But you're the only one who won't accept that." 

"Whatever you say, Wufei!" Duo said with forced cheerfulness as they dumped Heero into a corner. "I think that you're just being biased because Sally got hurt." Wufei looked murderously at him, and Duo raised his hands above his head. "Don't shoot! I know that I'd be feeling the same way you are if Hilde had gotten hurt, but I'm starting to think that I'm the only pilot who's looking at this rationally –"

"Shut up, Maxwell!" Wufei snapped. "You think that you're the only rational one because no one you love has gotten hurt?" Duo opened his mouth to protest, but Wufei cut him off ruthlessly. "Well maybe you're the only one who's not thinking rationally! You didn't see Heero on L3, you didn't see him when he bombed the base!"

Wufei shuddered slightly, remembering Heero's cold, uncaring eyes. He looked like he had nothing to live for. He had never seen Heero like this, even during the war. He'd been cold, but he'd never been ruthless. He'd always completed his missions, but he'd never taunted his victims before. The Heero he'd seen at the base was nothing like the Heero he'd known. Wufei's eyes narrowed. He'd tried to kill Sally. 

He realised that he'd been silent for a few moments, and looked up to see Duo gaping at him. "Um…" Duo looked at Wufei uncomfortably. "Are you okay?" Wufei glared at him. He hated it when anyone saw his weaknesses. "You sort of went all pale and quiet for awhile." 

"You didn't see him," Wufei said simply. "You've only seen him as this pathetic thing." He gestured at the crumpled figure on the floor. "He's a ruthless murderer one minute, and a confused teenager the next. He's dangerous." Wufei tried to make his voice gentle, but his words still cut through Duo like a knife. "He's insane."

Duo shuddered. He couldn't be insane. Heero was the strong one. He was the one who gave everyone the strength. He looked at the still form of his best friend, and shuddered again, covering his face with his hands. Heero had to be all right. They would convince him that he was wrong, and Relena would be saved, and then everything would go back to normal, right? 

Duo wanted to scream. He knew that he was deluding himself. Even if Heero went back to normal and Relena was rescued, nothing would be the same. At the very least, no one would act the same around Heero again. He had done too many things in the last couple months, and the Preventors were starting to tie more crimes to him everyday. If they were right, then Heero had destroyed entire colonies, and murdered children.

Nothing would be the same. Heero would probably have to go to jail for his crimes, and would probably be executed. No one would want to risk letting the Perfect Soldier escape. He began to feel the reality of the situation settling down on him. This wasn't going to end well. No matter what happened, Heero wasn't going to get off easy from this, and nothing would be the same. And what if he was insane? Would the Perfect Soldier be reduced to a straitjacket and a padded room? Duo refused to believe it. He couldn't be insane. 

He jumped slightly when Wufei placed a hand on his shoulder, and smiled weakly at him. "He's insane?" He asked quietly, and when Wufei nodded, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Then we should be trying to help him instead of strapping him to chairs and interrogating him. What we're doing now won't help him."

"Yuy's sanity is not our concern." Wufei pulled his hand back angrily. "We need to find Relena. She's essential to this fragile peace. Yuy is secondary to her."

"Are you blind?" Duo asked, his despair being overtaken by anger. "She's been gone for months, and the world is still at peace!" 

"Are you suggesting that we stop looking for her?" Wufei snapped at him, ready to kill the braided man if he said yes. "Do you think that we should leave her to wherever Heero's dumped her?" Wufei's anger drained away, and was replaced by sadness. "She doesn't deserve that. She may not have been my favourite person, and we may not have seen eye to eye on many subjects, but she doesn't deserve what he's done to her."

"I'm not saying that we should stop searching for her." Duo sounded drained. "She's my friend too, ya know. What I'm saying is that if he is insane, we should give him some help. He might help us find her if he actually realises what he's done."

"That's a pretty slim chance." Wufei snorted. "That could take time, and resources that we don't have. We have no time to fix his mind. He thinks that Relena killed you, and you saw that he refuses to accept any evidence that proves otherwise."

"Let me talk to him." Duo suggested. "I know that I can make him believe that I'm real and that what he's done is wrong." 

"Because you were so effective last time." Wufei said dryly. "Punching him did a lot for his psyche."

"Do you have a better idea?" Duo asked him pointedly, and when the Chinese man shook his head, he smirked. "Then you might as well let me try."

"Fine," Wufei said as he walked towards the door. "It looks like he'll be waking up soon. This is your only chance with him. Because tomorrow, we'll start the real interrogation, and if you couldn't handle what we were doing today, then you'd better not be here tomorrow." The cell door slammed shut behind Wufei, leaving Duo alone with Heero.

"So that's how it's going to be?" Duo's question echoed around the small cell. He cracked his knuckles and turned to the prone figure on the floor. "They want to beat the shit out of you for answers." He pulled Heero into a semi-sitting position, and sat down beside him. "I'm not going to let that happen." 

* * * * *

Heero was in agony. Zero had left him. He had left him alone when he had promised that he wouldn't. He felt himself being moved, but he didn't care. What did it matter where they took him? He was alone, and nothing mattered anymore. He was alone. Duo had left him, Relena had betrayed him, his other friends had become his enemies, and now, Zero had left him. 

Heero strained, trying to find that familiar golden light. Her remembered that it used to bother him, but he would kill to feel it again. He would slaughter thousands to not feel alone anymore. _Zero. He called desperately inside his head. _Talk to me!_ He felt himself being dropped to the floor, and heard the voices of Wufei and – No. It wasn't Duo. Duo was dead. _

_//That's right//_ Zero's voice filled his head. _//It's just a trick so they can find Relena. You don't want them to get her back do you?//_

_Where did you go? _Heero yelled at the machine. _I was calling – you said that you wouldn't leave, but you did! You lied to me Zero! He relaxed as the golden light surrounded him. It made him feel whole again. __Where did you go? He asked desperately. He had to know if this could happen again. _

_//The drug they  used on you blocked me for a period of time.// Zero informed him. //I could not hear you calling me.//_ Heero nodded, making a mental note to kill Zechs next time he came near him with one of those damned patches.

"Heero?" Duo's voice cut through the golden light. "Come on." Someone shook his shoulder roughly. "Snap out of it." Heero's head spun. Duo? It couldn't be. He told himself again. I'm hallucinating. 

_//That's right.// _Zero confirmed. _//Remember that it's a trick. He's not real.//_

_He's not real_. Heero repeated. But if Duo wasn't real then how come Heero jaw ached where he had punched him? How come he could feel him shaking his shoulders? Hallucinations couldn't touch you. If Duo was just a figment of his imagination, then how come he could touch him? Heero reluctantly stepped out of the golden light. He had to find some answers.

_//Don't do it!// _Zero hissed, and the golden light tried to pull him back in. _//He will lie to you. They all lied to you.//_

Heero resisted the urge to surrender to Zero. _I have to know. _He told his friend sadly. _But I will be back. Don't worry._ He said as he opened his eyes and found himself face to face with Duo. "Are you real?" He asked again, and watched as the braided man smirked. "He told me that you were dead, that you aren't real."

"I'm alive." Duo said quietly. "And I'm real." He gestured towards Heero's jaw. "Doesn't that prove it?" He cracked his knuckles. "I can do it again, if you're still not convinced."

Heero shook his head. "I don't think that's necessary." Duo's face brightened. "So what happened then? How did you get out alive?" Duo looked confused, and Heero clarified. "Your execution. You convinced an entire mob of people that you were dead. I saw the bullets and the blood. No one could have survived that, so how did you?"

"Heero," Duo began slowly. "There was no execution. I was never on trial for anything." He noted the shocked look on Heero's face. "I'm serious! No one knows who the Gundam pilots were and we plan to keep it that way. Besides, did you honestly believe that our peaceful princess would kill someone? She didn't even kill Lady Une for murdering her father.  She forgave her."

Heero shook his head, unwilling to believe what his friend was telling him. "For Relena to kill me," Duo continued. "I would have had to do something worse than murder her father." Duo ran his hands through his hair. "And if I did something worse than that, then I deserved to be shot."

"She killed you because you were a Gundam Pilot." Heero said sadly. "She told them about the people that you killed, and how you called himself Shinigami." Duo sobered slightly at that comment. He was still haunted in his dreams by the people he had killed. "She argued with you, and then she killed you." Heero's eyes hardened, and his voice became cold. "She made it as painful as she possibly could. She told them to make your death pain – " He cut off as Duo punched him across the jaw again, and glared at his braided friend. "What the hell was that for?"

"You shouldn't talk about a person like they're already dead." Duo crossed his arms over his chest. "It's rude." He smiled sadly at his friend. "You're really having trouble accepting that I'm not dead, aren't you?" He waited for an answer, but Heero remained silent. "Who told you that I died anyway?"

"Zero did." Heero answered quickly. _//No!// "What's wrong?" Heero asked, ignoring the strange look Duo gave him. "It's only Duo. He won't tell anyone." __//It's a trick, remember?// "He's real. He's proved this!" _

_//He's proved nothing//_ Zero snapped. _//You are an idiot. Falling for such simple tricks. You don't trust me.// _

"I do trust you!" Heero had completely forgotten about Duo. "Please, Zero! Don't be mad!" 

"Who are you talking to?" Duo asked in a confused tone. "You can't be talking to Zero. The Zero system was destroyed along with your Gundam. Remember?" It hurt to see what his best friend had been reduced to. "Zero can't talk to you anymore."

"But he can!" Heero snapped, defending his friend. "I've been talking to him for months! He opened my eyes. He showed me what Relena did to us!"

"Um – Heero? What do you mean by us?" Duo was getting more confused by the minute. "I thought you said that you thought that she executed me. You never mentioned anything else."

"I was going to propose to her." Heero said quietly. "It took so long for me to work up the courage, and when I finally did, I caught her with another man. She was kissing him." He felt his insides twist with anger and jealousy. "She told me that she couldn't wait forever, and told me that she had moved on."

"That never happened." Duo assured Heero. "Maybe she can't wait forever, but Relena's determined to try. She's been waiting for you for years. You disappeared a year ago, and when you came back, you kidnapped her. Relena would never have turned you down if you proposed to her."

"So that's not real either?" Heero asked in a shaky voice, and Duo shook his head. "Is Zero lying to me?" 

"Zero's not real." Duo told him. "It's all in your head, Heero. Zero was destroyed, and no one's made a new one. Besides, you're not in your Gundam. Even if a system did exist, you wouldn't be able to talk to it without being in a Gundam."

"Duo," Heero's eyes were filled with uncertainty. He stared at his trembling hands. "I'm hearing voices that aren't real, I'm remembering things that never happened. Am I –" He paused for a moment before continuing. "Am I crazy?" His fears were confirmed when Duo nodded, and he sighed. "What have I done?" His voice was full of remorse. "I've done terrible things," Heero confided. "Zero told me that what I was doing was right, but he wasn't real… I've killed children, Duo." Heero's voice became so low that Duo had to strain to hear it. "I've screwed up… I've totally screwed up."

"It can't be that bad." Duo placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, but Heero flinched away, and stood up, pacing around the small cell.

"Not that bad?" Heero mocked. "You have no idea what I've done. I've killed families; men, women, and children. It didn't matter to me. In fact, I liked the children the best because the adults suffered terribly whenever I killed their kids." Duo shuddered, he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear all of this, but he had to. He had to know just what he was dealing with.

"I destroyed colonies. Cutting off the oxygen, and laughing while the colonists suffocated. I purposely tried to kill Sally. I placed explosives where I knew she would be. I killed Iria on purpose too." Heero grimaced. "I asked her to bring a package to a Preventor she knew, and she took it without question, and put it in her purse." Heero's stomach twisted. "I'd be surprised if they found enough of her for a proper funeral."

"They didn't." Duo cut in. "They gathered all they could find, and cremated her."

"And I could have left without hurting Catherine, but I wanted her to suffer, wanted Trowa to suffer. So I hit her… I was going to kill Trowa when I went to the hospital. Then I was going to kill her. They were so lucky that she threw the knife." Heero grimaced had become fixed on his face as he paced around the room. "She should have killed me." 

"Don't say that!" Duo snapped. "If she killed you then we would never find Relena. We need you to help us find her!" 

"Relena?" Heero stopped pacing, and stared at Duo. "Did she really not do any of the things that I thought she did?" Duo nodded, and Heero grasped his stomach as he realised exactly what he'd done. He ran to the side of the cell, and lost everything that he had eaten before he was caught. Duo waited patiently, trying his best to ignore the heaving sounds that came from the other side of the cell. 

Heero stood up, wiping his mouth his mouth with the back of his hand. "Feeling better?" He asked and Heero shook his head. 

"I sold her." Heero said hoarsely. "I sold her to a collector." Duo looked confused, and Heero tried to clarify for him. "His name is James Borden, and he likes expensive 'toys'." His mouth twisted in disgust. "She loves me, or loved me anyway, and I sold her to a disgusting pig, who's probably raped her already." He felt his stomach heave again, but there was nothing left in there to purge. 

"Can you tell us where she is?" Duo asked hopefully. "It might not be too late."

"Yes." Heero said quietly. "But there is a condition."

"What?" Duo looked bewildered. "You want a reward? You're the one who put her there! You shouldn't need a reward!"

"I never said anything about a reward!" Heero snapped. Duo relaxed, and gestured for him to continue talking, sure that he could handle whatever request Heero threw at him. "I want to go with you when you rescue her." Duo's jaw dropped, and for the first time he could remember, he was speechless.  

Author's Note: What did you think? Please tell me! I'll even accept flames, as long as they have some sort of constructive criticism in them. Telling me that my story sucks is all well and good, but don't you think that you should tell me how to improve it? 


	10. The Friend

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

Deceptions Part 10: The Friend

By Symee-Sama

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE

"You're crazy!" Wufei said angrily. "I can't believe that you're even suggesting this to me, Maxwell." He glared at the braided man, but it had no effect. Duo just grinned, and leaned against the wall. "Do you even understand what you've suggested?" Duo's grin faded slightly. 

"Of course I understand!" He said defensively. "I know that it's going to be a problem getting permission to take him with us, but we have to. He knows where the base is. He knows what the key codes for the doors are. He knows everything we need to know to get Relena back, and he won't tell us unless we take him with us!"

"We can't take him off the base!" Wufei countered. "He'll just have to tell us the information!" 

Duo shook his head slightly. "He won't tell, you can interrogate him all you want, but he won't tell you anything until you let him come." Wufei looked like he wanted to strangle Duo with his braid, but Duo didn't care. "We have to bring him with us."

"We already have a name, we can track him down through that."  Wufei crossed his arms over his chest. "We've already started looking." Duo smirked, and the other man glared at him. "What is it, Maxwell?"

"I already did a search," Duo's smirk grew. "And the results were over 100 000 people who fit Heero's description, and were rich enough to buy someone from the black market on L1. Over 30 000 of those have regular dealings on L1. There's no way to narrow the search down."

Wufei scowled at Duo. "I'll see what I can do about getting Heero with us." He said in defeat. "I'll have to talk to Lady Une about this, and I'll stop the interrogation." He almost smiled as Duo's mouth fell open.

"You started it already?" Duo asked, feeling a little sick. He had heard things about Preventor interrogations, and what he'd heard had not been pleasant. He found it hard to stop himself from running to Heero's cell and killing whoever happened to be in there with him. "Stop it now!"

"I will," Wufei promised. "When I have the time." He did smile this time, and it didn't falter when Duo grabbed his shirt and pushed him against the wall. "Calm down, Maxwell."

"Stop this, Wufei!" Duo yelled at him. "I know that he hurt Sally, and he hurt you, but this isn't right!" Wufei looked unperturbed. "Beating the shit out of him won't change anything!" He released Wufei, and took a step back. "You need to stop his interrogation right now."

"Why are you defending him?" Wufei asked in a confused tone. "He's done all these things, I know that he's told you about them, and he's hurt your friends. So why are you still helping him, and treating him like he's you're friend?"

Duo crossed his arms over his chest. "Because he is my friend, and I figure someone's gotta stick by him. Because right now, I'm the only friend he's got." He looked at Wufei. "Something's wrong with him, and if he's insane like you say, then we should be getting him help." He pounded the wall in frustration. "Damn it! He was a pilot just like us! I can't just label him as a murderer, and leave it at that."

"Why not?" 

"Because every time I try to, I see him flying in front of Libra, and nearly killing himself to destroy it." He leaned against the wall, his eyes closed. "Every time I look at him, I can remember him in the sky above Mariemaia's fortress, and shooting it until his Gundam exploded." Duo opened his eyes, and they had a pleading look in them. "Those aren't the actions of a murderer are they?"

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. "I'll stop the interrogation now," Wufei said finally, and Duo bolted from the wall, and started walking towards Heero's cell. He paused at the end of the hallway and turned back to glance at the Chinese man. 

"Thanks Wufei," he said softly, and then he dashed around the corner and was gone. Duo ran down the numerous hallways of the Preventors base, not caring who he knocked down in the process. Being a Gundam pilot gave him a little leeway in technical matters, he could get out of almost any problem by asking to see Lady Une. 

He turned a corner, accidentally knocking over a janitor. "Sorry!" Duo yelled and kept running, trying to run faster. He had to see what they had done to his friend. Terrible scenarios ran through his head, ranging from bruises to broken bones. He was almost scared to see what he'd find. He turned the last corner and ran to nearest door on the right. He pulled out his card key, and entered the number on it on the keypad. 

Duo stepped back as the door unlocked and swung open. "Heero?" he said a little uncertainly. "Heero are you okay?" He heard muffled grunts coming from the corner, and walked into the cell, closing the door behind him. "What are you doing?" There was a snapping sound, and Duo gave an exaggerated sigh. "Some things never change." 

He took a closer look at his friend, and was horrified by what he saw. His face was swollen and bruised, and his nose looked like it had been broken. Some of the fingers on his left hand were bent at odd angles, and his left arm was hanging unnaturally at his side. Duo put a hand over his mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick." He informed his friend. "That's-"

"Don't" Heero's monotone cut through Duo's words. "This cell smells bad enough already." He grimaced when he tried to move. "I need your help with something." Duo walked over to his friend and knelt beside him. "Hold my arm just above the elbow." Heero instructed, and Duo did as he asked, looking a little sick as Heero reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Hold it tight." Duo's grip tightened, and Heero twisted his arm until a snapping sound was heard, and the bone was back in place.

"What the hell did they do to you?" Duo asked, desperately trying to keep from losing his lunch from the cracking sounds that could be heard as Heero snapped his fingers back into place. "How the hell could they do this to you?"

"You're the only one who's not angry at me," Heero began. "There were plenty of people who would love to get back at me for what I've done." He grimaced as he flexed his sore fingers. "Zechs, for one, and there were others who had lost friends and family during the bombing." He looked at Duo. "I didn't give them any information so why'd they stop?"

"Wufei ordered it," Duo informed him. "You're going to come with us to get Relena." He saw Heero's shoulders slump forward in relief. "You have to not retaliate to anything they do to you though, you're going to be in cuffs, and some of them might try to do something to you, but don't do anything okay?" Heero nodded. "I'll probably be with you, so I'll look out for you, I guess."

"That's fine," Heero said tonelessly. "I trust you." He looked at Duo, a desperate look in his eyes. "Will I be able to go in to see Relena?" 

Duo smiled slightly. "Yeah, you know all the key codes and everything." His smile faded. "Do you expect her to forgive you?" He asked quietly. "Because I don't think that's going to happen."

"No," Heero said quietly, eyes downcast. "I don't expect her to forgive me, I don't want her to either." He ignored Duo's protests. "It's true. I'm going with you to rescue her, and after that, I'm going to tell the Preventors everything I did. I'm going to tell them about the murders, the bombings, everything." 

Duo gaped at him. "They'll put you away for life for all that!" He said. "They could even execute you for that!" He looked at his friend. "Are you sure that you want to do that?"

"What am I supposed to do?" Heero growled at him. "Am I supposed to forget about what I've done?" He looked at the braided pilot, his face giving nothing away, but his eyes were filled with despair. "I can't." He said softly. "And I don't want to. I deserve to go to jail, I'd rather go to jail, because an execution would be too quick. I want to suffer."

"Hey now," Duo said uncomfortably. "Don't talk like that." He sat down beside the other pilot. "There are enough people who want you in jail without adding yourself to the list."

"Don't try to talk me out of it, Duo. I'm going to tell them everything."

"I'm not," Duo said defensively. "I think that you should be punished for what you've done too. "He sighed. "But I don't want to watch you die, and I don't want you to waste away in prison." Or worse, a mental institution. He wanted to add. 

"How did everything go so wrong?" Heero asked. "I learned how to follow my emotions, I learned to trust them, and then I disappeared for what was it, a year?" Duo nodded. "I can't remember anything before that year. I remember the missions, I remember the faces of those I killed, but I don't remember anything before that."

"Well," Duo began. "You were happier. I mean, you still were cold to people that you'd never met before, but to the people you did know, you were warm, friendly." He smiled at his friend. "Hard to believe, eh?" He saw Heero nod. "Everyone thought that you were going to propose to Relena soon, it seemed like you were going to. Then you disappeared, and no one knew where you went."

"You didn't look for me." Heero stated dully. 

"It wasn't that we didn't care," Duo assured him. "It's just that you sort of came and went as you pleased, and we could never find you unless you wanted to be found." He ran a hand through his hair. "We started searching when you were missing for six months. That was the longest that you had ever been gone, but we couldn't find a single thing on where you went, so we figured that you didn't want to be found."

"Relena was sad, wasn't she?" 

"Yeah," Duo replied. "She was devastated, and she sort of ended up just going through the motions." He heard footsteps coming down the hall, and stood up. "Well, I'm pretty sure that's our escort to our VIP jet." He smiled down at Heero, and pulled him up. "C'mon, you gotta keep up appearances," he joked. "Besides, it will really freak them out if you're able to stand, and use your arms after the beating they gave you."

Heero nodded, and stood as tall as he could manage in his state, staring at the door when it opened, and glaring at the guard who stepped inside. The young man stared at him in shock, he had been one of the interrogators. "How is this possible?" The question slipped out before he could stop it, and Heero smirked at him. 

"Was that the best you could do?" He asked coldly, and the guard flinched, wondering if he had made a mistake by beating up this Gundam pilot. They had broken his arm, and one of his legs, but he was still standing, and his arms were crossed over his chest. This wasn't possible. 

"Don't taunt him, Yuy," Lady Une stepped into the cell. "Why do you want to help rescue Relena? You're the one who kidnapped her after all." She looked at him warily.

"He had a change of heart," Duo put in cheerfully. "Does he need a better reason?" He crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at her.

Lady Une glared back at him. "I'm sure that he can speak for himself. Can't he?"

"I wanted to make amends." Heero said simply. "I will not give any other reason." Lady Une's glare turned to him, but he shrugged it off. "Are we going or not?"

She nodded. "You do understand that you're going to be handcuffed, right?" Heero nodded, and she gestured to someone outside of the cell. Duo gaped as a guard came in holding the biggest pair of handcuffs that he'd ever seen. They looked like they were two inches thick, and they ran from the wrist to the elbow. Heero's face showed no expression when they put the restraints on him, but Duo knew that he had to be in pain. He'd just had his arm broken after all. 

Lady Une checked over the restraints, and nodded her satisfaction, and Heero and Duo were led out of the cell, and through the endless hallways of the base. Duo found that the pace that they were setting was too fast, especially for Heero who had just broken a leg. They were practically running down the halls. "Hey Lady!" He said, and Lady Une turned to face him.

"What is it, Maxwell?" She asked impatiently, and kept walking, pulling Heero along with her. Duo's face darkened. She knew that Heero's arm had been broken, but she was still pulling him like that. He pushed his way past her, and moved her hands away from Heero's shackles. "What the hell are you doing?" 

Duo gave her a pointed look. "You don't need to pull him along like that." He told her angrily. "He's a big boy now, and can walk all by himself. He doesn't need your help." She glared at him, and tried to grab for Heero again, but Duo blocked her with one hand. 

Lady Une let out a growl, slapping him as hard as she could, but Duo only smiled, and raised a hand to his burning cheek. "You should try to be more graceful," He smirked. "_Lady Une" He saw her mouth drop, and he silently thanked Noin for telling him about that insult. Lady Une walked swiftly ahead of them, and punched in the key code to the door, motioning for them to go inside. _

Duo led Heero towards the shuttle that they were supposed to take. They walked up the ramp, and entered the small shuttle. "Hey guys," Duo said amiably to all the other pilots. "When are we leaving?"

"We were waiting on you, Maxwell." Wufei sneered. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry Wufei." Duo said without a trace of an apology in his voice. "We were held up by Une." He glanced around the shuttle. Zechs and Wufei were glaring at him, and Trowa was glaring at Heero with hatred so intense, Duo wondered why Heero wasn't melting. Quatre was smiling slightly at Duo, but was refusing to acknowledge Heero's existence. This wasn't going to be a fun trip. "What's our destination?" He asked Heero. 

"We're going to the northern border of Sanq." Heero said, ignoring the glares of the other pilots. "Relena's about five miles west of the capital." The pilots burst into accusations, there was no way that Relena could have been held there. It was too close to the Preventors. Duo began defending Heero, and arguing with Wufei and Zechs. 

"Duo?" Quatre spoke quietly, but his voice easily cut through the noise. "You can pilot." Duo nodded, and he started walking towards the cockpit, throwing an uneasy glance back at Heero.

"He better be alive when I get back." Duo growled. 

"Or you'll what, Maxwell?" Wufei asked with disdain. "You can't do anything to four of us." 

"Heero," Quatre's voice was strained, and he spat the name like it pained him to say it. "Go with Duo to the cockpit." He turned to Duo, still watching Heero warily. "If there's any problems, shout, and we'll help you." 

Duo stalked towards the cockpit, Heero following close behind. He wanted to yell at the other pilots for being such jerks, but he managed to refrain from commenting until Heero and him were in the cockpit and the door was close.

"They're being such jerks!" He exclaimed, and Heero smiled slightly. It was nice to have a friend when the world hated you. It had shook him to the core when Quatre was rude to him. He knew that he had no right to expect any sort of kindness from the pilots. He had given them no reason to, but he found it hard to swallow that Quatre, who had been the kindest and most accepting of them all would turn against him. 

This is what you deserve, he thought bitterly. This is what you're going to face everyday from now on, so you might as well get used to it. After all, he had killed Quatre's sister, he had attacked Sally, he had tried to kill Catherine, and he had kidnapped Relena. He had a lot to answer for, just from his close friends… former friends, anyway. He almost sighed at the thought of facing the wrath for all the other people that he had killed. This was his penance, and he would see it through to the end. Whatever that may be.

"Heero?" Duo's voice pulled him from his reverie. "Are you listening?" Heero shook his head and Duo sighed. "I go through all this trouble to stick up for you, and you don't listen to me talk?" He pretended to be hurt. "I don't think that we can be friends anymore. Heero?" He noticed that his friend's eyes were glazed over, and he groaned. "Shit, not again."

* * * * *

Heero found himself lost in the golden light, but this time, he didn't find its presence comforting. He struggled and fought, trying to free himself from it, but it held him tight. _Let me go!_ He screamed at the light, unsure of the response that he'd get from it. He heard someone laughing, and the light grew brighter. Heero kicked and struggled, but nothing worked, and his head was throbbing. He found himself surrendering to the light, his kicks grew weaker, and his arms began to feel heavy, like there was weights attached to them.

_No!_ He screamed, he couldn't lose this fight. He couldn't be fighting against something that wasn't real. He fought with renewed strength, but still nothing worked. He could hear people talking, but it sounded like they were far away, and their voices echoed inside his mind.

"He's completely out of it…" Quatre's voice came through softly. 

"We can't take him on a mission like this." Wufei protested.

"C'mon guys, have a little faith! He'll snap out of it, don't worry." 

"Lets hope that you're right, Duo."

_Help me!_ Heero tried to scream, but his voice just echoed inside his head. _Wake me up! I'm trapped! _But there was no response other than the soft laughter inside his mind. _Zero? _Heero asked quietly, suddenly afraid of the answer that he might get.

_//So you've come crawling back.//_ Their was a slight sneer in Zero's voice. _//Were your lying friends not good enough for you?//_

_I don't crawl._ Heero replied dryly. _You're the one who brought me back. Let me out of here. He tried again to escape from the golden light, but he couldn't. _Let me go Zero! _ He wished that there was an actual enemy that he could fight. He didn't know how to react to these mind games. _

_//I can't do that.// _Zero informed him. _//You have to do it yourself.// _

_I know that you can let me go._ Heero growled. _You're lying to me Zero! You've always been lying to me! He tried again to escape the light, and managed to get a hand free before he was pulled back in. _Now, set me free!__

_//So you've decided that I'm real?// _Zero sneered. _//Before, you were convinced that I was merely a figment of your imagination.//_ Heero would have sworn that if Zero had a physical form, he would be smirking. _//And figments of your imagination can't help you.//_

_Damn it, Zero! _Heero yelled. _Stop doing this! Let me go!_

_//Why should I?// _Zero asked nonchalantly. _//You didn't trust __me.__// Heero was struggling desperately now, fighting with all his might against the light. It seemed like it was getting thicker. Before, it had appeared to be a light mist, and he could see the darkness beyond it, but now, it was brighter, and he could see nothing but the golden light. The golden light was everything. _

_//I shouldn't let you go.//_ Zero's voice started to sound dangerous. Heero gasped, putting a hand to his throat. He couldn't breathe! The golden light pushed in, and he fought harder than ever. He needed air! Blackness began to form on the edge of his vision, and he attempted to breathe with all his might. _//I shouldn't even let you live.// Heero heard Zero's laughter echoing through his mind as the light smothered him._

* * * * *

Relena felt sick. She hadn't eaten in days, and her stomach felt like it had collapsed. She smiled at the irony of it all. She had been so powerful, she had been in control, but now, she had no power, no control. He was the one who possessed those things. The only thing that she controlled was when it would happen. By getting herself hurt, or antagonising Him until He hit her, but her control on that was tenuous, and she knew that one day, bruises would not deter him from taking what he wanted.

She walked towards the tiny bathroom at the end of the hall. This was only her second time there. He had said that she would be able to go more often, but He had been disappointed with her reaction to His surprise. Relena shuddered. She had ripped the bear to shreds, and thrown them at Him the next time He came to see her. She was afraid because He had not hit her that time. He had opted instead to starve her.

Millions of thoughts came to her, and none of them were good. If He wanted her to bathe today, then could this be the day when He- Relena would have thrown up if she had anything in her stomach. That would explain why He hadn't hit her that day. He didn't like his women blemished. She entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her, and nodded to the attendant.

"Hello Miss Relena," the attendant greeted her. "How do you feel today?" Relena looked at her hands and didn't answer. She let the woman undress her, and she stepped in the bath, still not looking at the woman. Neither of them talked until Relena had stepped out of the bath, and was getting dressed. "Miss Relena," the attendant began nervously. "There's something that you should know."

"Let me guess," Relena said tonelessly. "Today is the big day?" She saw the attendant nod, and buried her face in her hands. She'd still harboured some hope that she would be rescued before it happened, or that He would get tired of her resistance and forget about her. 

"Please don't cry," the attendant placed her hand on Relena's shoulder. "It's not as bad as it seems." Relena looked up at her, and wiped her eyes with the back of her hands. "He's rumoured to be quite gentle." She flinched when Relena glared at her, and wrung her hands nervously.

"And where did you hear this?" Relena asked angrily. "From the other women that He raped?" Relena clenched her hands into fists, and the attendant tensed. "I won't be one of the broken women who spills her heart to you after He's finished with me." Her eyes lit up with determination. "I'll die before I sleep with Him."

"Please, think about what you're saying." The attendant grabbed Relena's hands. "Don't throw your life away because of Him." 

Relena laughed and pulled her hands away, and fastened the last button of the dress the attendant had given her to wear. . "Why shouldn't I?" She asked. "He's going to kill me anyway, isn't he? I can't see Him letting me free. So why shouldn't I choose the time and place of my death?" She had a crazed look in her eyes. "You have to help me."

The attendant backed away from her. "Don't give me excuses," Relena advanced on her, and grabbed her shirt. "You have to help me! Find me something that I can use!" She was shaking the woman now, and she knew that she was probably hurting her, but she didn't care. She needed to get away! She needed to escape, even if she died in the attempt, at least she would be beyond His reach.

"Guards!" the attendant screamed at the top of her lungs, and two armed men rushed in, pulling Relena away from the other woman. The attendant straightened her clothing and her hair, before she noticed that the two guards were standing there, holding Relena and awaiting her orders. "Take her to His chambers," she ordered them, and tears entered her eyes, when she saw Relena's face crumble, and watched her struggle to escape from the guards.

"No! No! No!" Relena screamed, and kicked, twisting her body in an attempt to escape their grip. "Please! Don't do this!" She was nearly in tears now, as they opened a door, and brought her into a room. She let out a moan when she heard a familiar voice telling them to leave her. 

No. He was here! Relena knew what that meant, and as soon as the guards let go of her, she tried to run past them through the open door. They pushed her to the floor, and closed the door, locking it behind them. She could hear their laughter echoing down the hallways. No! 

She turned to face him, tensing as He walked towards her. "So, my dear," His smooth voice filled her with fear, and He pulled her to her feet easily, despite her resistance. He pressed his mouth to hers, and smiled slightly when she tried to bite His tongue. That wouldn't work this time. He pulled away, and looked at her beautiful face, noting the fear in her eyes, and loving her all the more for it. "Shall we begin?" He asked her and gestured towards the bed.

Author's Note: Hm.. Not sure what I think of this one. Tell me what ya think!


	11. The Rescue

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Deceptions Part 11: The Rescue

By Symee-Sama

Author's Notes: Okay, there is a pretty graphic (in my friend's opinion) scene between Relena and her 'owner', so if you are easily sickened, then don't read this fic Sorry that it took so long. It was finished a long time ago, but I wasn't satisfied with it. I'm still not satisfied with it, but I'm gonna post it anyway.

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE, ATTEMPTED RAPE

Duo looked down at the delirious man before him. This was what the great Heero Yuy had been reduced to. They had been forced to strap him to a chair, because he was struggling so much. He had been muttering about Zero, and being unable to escape. Duo sat in the chair beside his friend. He was the only one who felt the least bit sorry for Heero. None of the others cared if he was insane, or if he was in pain, they all believed that he deserved it. 

He watched as Heero's hands twitched, and strained against the leather bindings. Heero's whole body was trembling from attempting to escape, and Duo gasped when his friend's body went limp, and Heero slumped forward in his chair. "What the hell?" Duo asked no one in particular, and looked closely at his friend. "Shit!" He yelled. Heero wasn't breathing, in fact, his entire body was going cold. "Guys!" He called desperately. "Get over here!"

All of the pilots ran towards Duo. "What's wrong?" Quatre asked. "What happened?" Duo pointed at Heero's limp form, and Quatre shrugged. "That's what you called us over for? Because he stopped struggling?"

Duo shook his head, anger rising in him. "No!" He replied in a harsher voice than he meant to. "He's not breathing." Quatre looked alarmed and reached over, feeling for Heero's pulse. There was none. "Is he dead?" Duo asked, but Quatre ignored him, placing his hand on Heero's forehead.

This wasn't a natural death, it couldn't have been. Quatre would have felt it if Heero had a heart attack, or if he had killed himself. He would have sensed any poison in the other man's veins. It was like someone had worked from the inside to shut him down. 

Quatre closed his eyes, forcing his way into Heero's head, and gasped when he felt two auras there. One was definitely Heero, but the other… the other was cold, mechanical, and Quatre was sure that it wasn't human. What was going on? Quatre made a note to ask Heero about it later. If Heero was still alive later, he corrected himself. 

He reached farther into Heero's mind, and could hear laughter. He shuddered slightly, it sounded inhuman and cruel. He cursed when he found his way blocked and attempted to force the barrier to move, but it wouldn't budge. _Heero!_ He cried out to the darkness. _Let me through!_ He pounded on the barrier. _Let me through! _

Quatre tensed when he sensed a presence nearby. _Heero! Is that you! He looked around desperately for the other pilot. _Answer me!__

_//He can't.// _Quatre nearly lost contact with Heero's mind when he heard that smooth voice. It was Zero, he was sure of it. There was a slight sneer in the voice. _//He's been detained.//_

_Let him go. _Quatre ordered, and pounded again on the barrier. _He's dying, you have to let him go. _He heard Zero laughing, and clenched his hands into fists. _Release him!_ He shouted and concentrated on the barrier, pushing in on it, until it dissolved. He smiled in satisfaction, and turned to face where the voice was coming from. _You can't keep me out. _

_//You've grown stronger.//_ Zero said in a surprised tone. _//A year ago, you wouldn't have been able to break through that barrier.//_

_How did you know that?_ Quatre yelled at Zero, but it was useless. The presence had receded, and there was no point in questioning the darkness. Quatre walked past the barrier, and farther into the depths of Heero's mind. He could hear the other pilots, especially Duo, cheering him on, and urging him to hurry. A golden light surrounded him, chasing away the darkness, but Quatre ignored it.

He closed his eyes, and searched for Heero's aura. He had to hurry, there wasn't much time. He felt it, it was close. In fact, it was so close to him, that he should have been able to see it, but he couldn't see a thing. He felt Zero return, and heard him laughing. _//Do you think those barriers were the only defence I'd made?//_ Quatre gritted his teeth, and closed his eyes once more, searching for Heero's aura. _//You'll never find him.//_

He followed the beacon in his mind to where the aura was, and opened his eyes. Nothing. He couldn't see Heero anywhere. The golden light called to him, telling him that it was useless to try, telling him to surrender, and for one frightening moment, Quatre felt himself giving up. _No! _He shouted and with all his might, he pushed the light away, letting the darkness reign once more.

He frowned at the patch of light in front of him. It refused to go away. Quatre studied it for a moment before realising that was where Heero's aura was resonating from. _Heero! Quatre called, and he heard a faint reply from within the light. Quatre forced away the golden light, pushing it to the side, and creating an opening to the pilot._

Heero looked at him, taking several deep breaths before he managed to speak. _Quatre?_ He began, his voice trembling slightly. _Are you real? Or are you another trick?_ His eyes were wild, and his eyes darted around the darkness, as if he was looking for something. _He's not here. His shoulders slumped forward in relief, and Quatre pushed away the sympathy rising in him. This man had killed Iria._

_Come with me, Heero. _Quatre held out his hand to the other man. _I've come to take you back._ He smiled slightly when Heero took it, and pulled him from his prison of light. _I've come to take you away from here._

Heero looked at him, sorrow in his eyes. _You should leave me here. He said quietly, and turned, looking back at his golden prison. _That,_ he pointed at the light. _Is what I deserve. For all the people I've killed, all the things that I've done. I deserve that. I'm sorry for Iria. _He said softly and gathered up his courage, as began to walk towards the light. His eyes were grim, but Quatre knew that he would accept this fate, this punishment. _

_Wait!_ Quatre yelled, and Heero turned around, looking at the blonde pilot in confusion. _No one deserves to be trapped in there. _Heero walked back towards Quatre, an unspoken question in his eyes. _We need you still. _Quatre said, in way of explanation. _We need you to help us find Relena._ Heero nodded, his eyes shining with determination._ Let's get out of here. Quatre said to Heero, as he grabbed the other pilot's hand and forced him to exit his mind. _

* * * * *

Duo sighed in relief when Heero slowly opened his eyes, and turned to smile at Quatre. "You did it!" Duo exclaimed. "I don't know what the hell you did, but thanks." Quatre gave him a tired smile, and put a hand to his head. "Hey, Quatre, are you alright?" He asked in a worried tone, and the blond pilot nodded.

"I'm fine," he sighed leaned back against a chair. "I don't think that I'll be able to help you rescue Relena though." He said through a yawn. "Using my abilities to the extent I did today is draining." Duo nodded, and smiled at him.

"Take a nap, then," Duo advised. "No one's going to think less of you if you do." 

"Thanks Duo." Quatre gave him a grateful smile, which faded quickly and was replaced with a serious look. "Listen," he glanced at Heero before bringing his attention back to Duo. "I need to talk to you about something later, okay?" Duo nodded, and watched Quatre as he made his way down a few rows, and settled into a seat.

Duo scratched his head, wondering what Quatre had found in Heero's mind that was important, but not important enough to talk about immediately. Shrugging his shoulders, he sat down beside Heero, and looked at his friend. "You okay?" He asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah," Heero replied. "Thanks to Quatre." He shuddered slightly, remembering the golden light, and not being able to breathe. He would rather be shot than go through that again. 

"What happened?" Duo asked, letting his curiosity get the better of him, and watched for a reaction from his friend, almost disappointed when he didn't get one. "I mean, one minute you're having convulsions, and the next, you're not breathing. So, what happened?" 

"I wasn't strong enough to fight him," Heero said simply, and turned to look out the window, leaving Duo to wonder what the cryptic comment meant.  

* * * * *

"Damn," Doctor J cursed. "We are losing our hold on him." He turned to the readings from the computer. "We were so close to making him ours again." He heard muffled laughter behind him, and turned, glaring at the man in front of him. "Do you find something funny, G?" He asked, barely able to contain his fury. 

"You were going to kill him, not make him ours." Professor G replied. "Do you still think that you can fool me with your lies anymore? I know what's going on now." G glared at the other doctor.  "I know that you killed O, S, and H. I know that you were planning to kill me." He pulled out a gun, and aimed it at Doctor J. "But instead it was you who will die." G cocked the gun. "If you answer my questions, I'll make it quick."

J nodded, and motioned for G to ask. "Why did we lose our hold on 01?" G asked. "Your 'memories' were supposed to be perfect!"

"Heero thought that Duo was dead." J said simply. "Duo proved otherwise through physical force. I suppose I could have tried harder to convince him, but I was curious to see how much influence the Zero system had over him."

"You fool," G snarled. "He will reveal our position, the Preventors will catch us, and we will spend our lives in jail." 

"He will do no such thing." J assured the other doctor. "He already believes that he is crazy. The other pilots have been instrumental in convincing him that there is no way that the Zero system can be heard inside his head. He will believe that we were never real, just like his other 'memories'."

"And what about Quatre? How could he have reached Heero so easily?"

"He has grown stronger than he was." J explained as if he was talking to a tiny child. "He wouldn't have been able to do that a year ago. I talked to H about it before I killed him, and he told me what Quatre's ability was. It was no where near that strong before." J paused for a second, considering the possibilities. "The death of his sister must have triggered the tremendous increase in his powers. Fascinating, simply fascinating." 

"Enough of that," G grumbled. "Was the experiment a success then?" J nodded. "Fine, I already have a bid on this technology." G's finger tightened on the trigger. "And you are no longer needed." He pulled the trigger, and looked in surprise at the hole that appeared in his chest. He placed a hand on his chest, blood pouring through his fingers. "How?" He rasped, and Doctor J smiled.

"You're so transparent," J watched as his companion fell to the ground, clutching his wound. "The way that you were skulking around my research, and asking about the others. It was a simple matter of finding your gun, and fixing it." J's smile grew as he watched G die. "You shouldn't try to outsmart me. You'll never win."

The light in G's eyes faded, but Doctor J didn't notice, he was too busy looking at the readings again. He had to regain his control over 01, or he had to kill him. Either way was fine with J, just as long as he got his results, and his money for his research. He looked at the corpse that was staining his floor with disdain. He would deal with it later, right now there was much work to be done.

* * * * *

Relena screamed when He pushed her down onto the bed. Hoping that someone, anyone would save her. She tried to push Him away from her, but He was too heavy. He straddled her, and lowered His mouth to her ear. "Stop screaming, love," He whispered. "It will just make it harder for you." 

She slapped Him across the face, and while He was dazed, she pushed Him off of her, and ran towards the balcony. Anything would be better than this, death would be better than this. She screamed again when He caught her and threw her up against the wall. "That wasn't very lady-like" He remarked and Relena would have laughed at Him if the situation hadn't been so serious. 

Did He honestly expect her to just sit down and let Him take her? You would think that He would be used to being opposed by now. Relena kneed Him in the groin, smiling as He doubled over in pain, and sprinted towards the balcony again. She reached the doors, and tried to open it, screaming when she found that it was locked. No! She was trapped, and He was coming to get her. 

He was furious now, and He pulled her away from the door, throwing her to the ground, and clawing at her clothes. He punched her when she tried to escape, and with one hand, held both of her hands above her head. "Stop!" She yelled. "Please don't!" 

He laughed at her, and ripped her dress baring one shoulder. He traced the bare skin with His free hand and smiled at her. "Relena, my dear," He said in a sickeningly sweet tone. "You are exquisite." He smiled at her. "No wonder I love you so much."

Relena felt like she was going to throw up. How many other girls had He done this to? How many other girls had He whispered those words to while He ravished them? She spat in His face, and He wiped it off, laughing at her pitiful attempts. She saw Him reach into his pocket, and pull out a small patch. 

"I shouldn't have to resort to this, Relena." He said in a disappointed tone. "You haven't been good, though, and it's become necessary." Relena felt Him place the patch on her arm, and the room spun as the drug entered her veins. 

No! She felt her movements become sluggish, but she could still feel everything that He was doing to her. She couldn't fight back! She felt Him kissing her, touching her, and her mind screamed against it, but her body seemed like it couldn't care less. She barely registered the absence of His weight, and wondered why He hadn't done anything yet. 

"Princess?" A voice echoed through the haze in her brain. "Did he hurt you?" She frowned, she knew that voice. She thought of the braided man the voice belonged to and struggled through her drug induced haze to remember who he was, but only one name came to mind.

"Heero?" She smiled slightly. He was here to protect her, and now she was safe.

* * * * *

It was a challenge to hold the struggling man against the wall, while he was handcuffed, but Heero managed to do it. He had been the one to pull him off of Relena. The things that he had been doing to her. He had barely managed to not throw up. It had been easy to enter the house. None of the key codes had been changed, and he had little in the way of guards. He had led the pilots to the cells downstairs, and had been met by a frantic woman, who had told them that he had taken Relena to his room.

Heero's blood boiled as he stared at the man in front of him. He supposed that the man would have been considered handsome, but all he could see was the man who had attempted to rape the woman he loved. "Is there a problem, Mr. Yuy?" He asked nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened. "Was there a problem with the money transfer?"

Heero's eyes narrowed, and he tightened his grip around the man's throat. "I've come to take her away." He said tonelessly, quickly looking over his shoulder to see that Duo was tending to her. "She's coming with me."

The man's face darkened with rage. "You can't have her!" He screamed at Heero, and punched him twice. Heero was unaffected, and glared at the man. "She's mine! I paid for her!" He yelled, and Heero suppressed the urge to kill him. "I never even got a chance to use her!" His protests turned into a scream as Heero flung him through the balcony doors. A shard of glass cut Heero above his right eye.

"You're lucky," Heero stepped through the door frames, avoiding the pieces of glass that were still stuck in them. "If you had 'used' her, I wouldn't have hesitated to kill you." He said and smashed the man's face with the side his handcuffs. These things did come in handy sometimes. He handed James to Zechs who grinned evilly and dragged the man out of the room. Wufei was waiting outside with the plane, and Trowa was watching over Quatre, so Heero was left alone with Duo and Relena. 

They walked towards him, and Heero saw that the drug had begun to wear off. She was still slightly unsteady, and was clinging to Duo when she stood up, Heero noted jealously. "Heero?" She asked uncertainly, as she took in his dyed hair. "Is that you?" 

He nodded and she stepped through the empty door frame. " I thought about you all the time." She said quietly. "You were the first person I thought about when I woke up in the morning, and the last person I thought about before I went to sleep. You even haunted me in my dreams." Heero fidgeted, unsure of how to react to her confession. 

"What did you think about?" He asked in a strained voice. She was hurting, and whenever she hurt, his heart broke. She looked at him, as if she was seeing him for the first time, and he fought the urge to grab her, and never let her go. She was so sad, and he had caused that sadness. That fact was killing him inside.

"I thought about how you were before you left," Relena's eyes were downcast, and Heero had to strain to hear what she was saying. "I thought about how you were when you returned." Her eyes hardened, and she glared at him. "And I thought about what I would do to you if I ever saw you again." There was murder in her eyes, but Heero didn't flinch from them.

He looked at her, accepting her anger. This was what he deserved, after what he had done to her – he shook his head. He still had trouble accepting what he had done. Why hadn't he fought Zero? Why hadn't he thought things through? Of course Relena would never have done any of those things. 

He reached towards her, his handcuffs forcing him to reach with both hands. "Relena," he said softly, and his face fell when she slapped his hands away. "Please…"

She punched him, and Heero reeled backwards into the balcony railing. He raised his bound hands to his sore jaw, staring at her in disbelief. "What gives you the right to ask me for anything?" She fumed. "You _sold_ me. I will never forgive you for what you've done." 

Heero gaped at her. He hadn't been expecting forgiveness, but he had wished for it. He had wanted her forgiveness more than anything in the world, but she wouldn't give it. He felt like something had died inside of him, and he looked at her, the pain in his eyes evident. "Relena…"

She glared at him. "Don't talk to me!" Her eyes blazed with anger, and her hands clenched into fists. "You shouldn't even look at me!" Heero flinched, knowing that her words were true, but forced himself to look into her eyes. This seemed to make her angrier. "I hate you!" She yelled at him, and his eyes widened as she placed her hands on his chest, pushing him as hard as she could. Heero felt the flimsy metal railing give way under his weight, and could hear Duo yelling as he stumbled backwards. He reached clumsily for something to steady him, but the handcuffs prevented him from grabbing anything.

Time seemed to slow as Heero lost his balance, and fell off the balcony. He thought that he heard her gasp, and scream his name, but he couldn't have cared less at the moment. There was only one thought running through his mind as the ground rushed up to meet him; she hated him. The very thought made him want to scream. She hated him. 

Author's Note: Yes, I gave Quatre a lot more powers than he had in the series, but if you read over the part with Dr. J, then you should get my reasoning behind it. And yeah, I do put Heero through Hell. I'm probably gonna do it in all my fics, :p Thank you all very much for your reviews! 

Please check out my newest fic: "Black Rose Immortal"


	12. The Trial

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

Deceptions Part 12: The Trial

By Symee-Sama

Author's Note: Sorry that this chapter took so long! Thank you for the reviews! I had problems at home, and exams. Let's not forget exams! I hope that you like.

Relena screamed when he fell and tried to run forward, but Duo stopped her, placing his body between her and the balcony. "You can't help him now." He told her as gently as he could as he pulled her back into the room and forced her to sit in a chair. "Stay here. Don't move." He ordered her, and walked back out onto the balcony. Bracing himself for what he knew he would see when he looked over the edge.

It didn't work. "Shit." Duo whispered as he peered over the edge, grimacing at what he saw in front of him. Heero was lying in a pool of blood, his arm bent in an unnatural direction. He had broken that arm earlier, Duo realised and felt bile rising in his throat. He forced it back down, staring at his fallen friend. "Shit." He repeated. He couldn't have deserved this. He had done a lot of bad things, but could he have deserved all this?

Duo couldn't answer the question, and it bothered him. He took one last look at the bloody body on the ground, and walked back into the room, pulling Relena to her feet. "Come on Princess." He said in a strained voice. "We gotta get out of here."

"But what about Heero?" Relena protested as he practically dragged her down the halls. "Is he dead?" she asked, the concern evident in her voice. "Did I kill him?" He didn't answer her, and she struggled against his grip. "Damn it Duo, answer me!"

"Why do you care?" Duo asked angrily, turning on her. "You hate him! You said that you did!" He struggled to control his anger. "You're the one who pushed him! He went through a lot of shit to get here. All he wanted to do was see you, and you push him off a friggin' balcony!"

"He sold me!" Relena screamed at him. "He gave me to Him, and let Him do what He wanted to with me! He almost raped me! He would have raped me hundreds of times already if I hadn't kept finding ways to stop Him, and Heero's the one who gave me to Him…" She seemed to lose her drive. "You have no idea what it was like… To have to hurt yourself so He wouldn't touch you."

"No Princess," Duo deflated instantly. "I don't know what you've been through, but I know what he's had to go through and he doesn't deserve your hatred." 

"Why not?" Relena spat. "Why shouldn't I hate him?" She asked and pulled her ripped dress back into place. "Even if I didn't hold any hard feelings for what he did to me, I can't forgive him for what he did to others." She looked at him, her eyes full of pain. "I want to, Duo. I wish I could just forget this whole mess, and move on the way we were before he left. But I can't." She stopped running, and stood in the clearing, wrapping her arms around herself. 

Duo looked at her, pity in his eyes. "He never expected you to forgive him." He said slowly, wondering if he was betraying his friend by telling her this. "I'm not even sure if he wanted you to forgive him, but he came anyway. He never wanted to…"

"Hurt me?" Relena interrupted, knowing what this was leading to. "That's a lie. He did hurt me. He wanted to hurt me." She glared at the braided man. "Admit it Duo. Don't lie to me." He tried to pull her along again, but she held her ground, only going forward a few steps before stopping again. "Admit it Duo." She said again.

"Is that what you want to hear?" Duo asked in a frustrated tone, and dragged her towards the shuttle. "Then fine, he wanted to hurt you! He wanted to kill you, and everything that you held dear!" He sighed. "But he also wanted to protect you."

"You're not making any sense!" Relena snapped at him. She was tired of the word games that they were playing. "He can't want both!" 

Duo sighed again. "Get your brother to explain it to you." He told her and helped her into the shuttle, handing her to Zechs. "I gotta go get Heero." He said quietly to the older man. "Don't leave without us."

Duo turned and sprinted back towards the mansion, muttering curses under his breath. This was his fault. He had let Relena go near Heero, knowing how fragile her state of mind was. It was just that he wanted everything to be the way it was. He knew that it could never happen, but that didn't stop him from wishing for it. He didn't want her to hate Heero… 

Duo cursed himself again, and ran faster. Heero could be dying while he took his sweet time. Heero could be bleeding to death because Relena pushed him off a balcony. Duo shook his head. He couldn't blame Relena for acting the way that she had. She had gone through a lot of horrible things, and she hadn't meant to push him that hard. 

Duo was breathing heavily by the time he reached Heero, and he had to fight to keep his lunch. It seemed like he was always queasy when he was around this guy. He walked over to his friend's still form, and knelt beside him, checking for cuts. He found none, but then where was all the blood coming from? Duo carefully turned Heero over, not wanting to injure him more, and his face fell.  

This was bad. Duo cursed again. There was a long, bloody gash in the back of Heero's head. Blood had matted and dried, but it was still bleeding slightly. He didn't know how to deal with this. Should he move him? Probably not. But he didn't have a choice. He had to get Heero to the shuttle. 

Carefully, Duo picked up his friend's body, not wanting to hurt him more than he had, and slung him over his shoulder. _Damn, Duo thought as he dragged Heero back the way he had come. _For a skinny guy, he's really heavy._ _

Duo gritted his teeth and pulled Heero faster. He didn't know how bad his injury was, and he wouldn't know until he got Heero back to the base. He grimaced when he felt blood dripping on him. Shit. Heero had started bleeding again and that couldn't be good. 

He reached the shuttle and placed Heero in a chair, checking to make sure that the handcuffs didn't jar his broken arm before doing up the restraints and sitting down behind him. "What the hell is going on?" Duo didn't flinch as Zechs strode up to where they were sitting. "That – That thing shouldn't be in the same place as my sister!"

"He's hurt Zechs," Duo snapped. "Leave him alone for once!"

Zechs was about to go on another tirade and force Duo to move him, but he felt a hand on his arm. "Please Milliardo," Relena's voice was low, but it easily cut through all the other noises in the shuttle. "He is hurt, and it's my fault. We need to get him medical help."

"What about you?" Zechs asked her quietly. "You were hurt too."

"Not as badly as he was." Relena held her head up proudly. "Give me some credit, Milliardo. I'm not as weak as everyone seems to think I am." She looked down at Duo and saw that he was in no condition to pilot. "Could you fly us back to the base?" She asked Zechs. "I would like to talk to Duo." 

Zechs nodded and walked quickly towards the cockpit. "Where are the others?" Relena asked Duo quietly once he had left.

"As far as I know, Quatre is still resting in the back of the shuttle, Trowa is with him, and Wufei is in the cockpit with Zechs. Why?"

"Just wondering," Relena shrugged, and then she looked at him. A serious look on her face. "Could you explain to me how he could want both?" Duo shot her a confused look. "What we talked about earlier. You said there was a reason for his actions and I want to hear it." 

"Alright," Duo glanced over at Heero, nervously. "He's insane." He took in Relena's shocked look and gave a weak smile. "I know it's hard to swallow, but it's true. He told me that he talked to Zero inside his head, and that he had all these memories of things that never really happened."

Relena's eyes widened as she remembered what Heero had said to her in the cell so long ago. _Holes in my memory… bright light…that voice…Zero!_ He had pushed her away from him, moving to another corner of the cell and huddling there. _Stay away from me! Zero's back! _

How had she not seen this before? His actions, his words, they all pointed to insanity. Why else would he have suddenly gone on a killing rampage? How else could he have changed so drastically in the span of a year? He had always been so strong. The strongest of all the Gundam pilots in her eyes, but he was still able to fall. 

She felt a swell of pity wash over her as she looked at his blood-covered body. Could she still hate him now that she knew that he was insane? Had she ever hated him? Relena wished that she knew the answers. She wished that she knew how this whole fiasco would turn out. She wished… that this had never happened. 

Relena realised that Duo had asked her a question, and she searched her memory for what he had said to her. "I'll be fine," She said softly, not looking away from Heero. "What's going to happen now, Duo?" She asked, not sure if she would like the answer.

"We'll try to clean up the mess that he made." Duo replied, his eyes filled with pain. "We'll try to go back to our lives." He stopped, unsure how to phrase what he needed to say. He knew that Relena still cared for Heero. Maybe she didn't love him anymore, perhaps she couldn't love him anymore, but she still cared for him, and didn't want to see him hurt.

"Then I'll pay for my crimes," Duo nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard Heero's voice. The stoic man sat up slowly, raising a hand to touch the back of his head. "I want to go to trial as soon as possible." He stated dully. 

"Are ya sure?" Duo asked him. "You should probably get Sally to look at your wound." 

"It's not serious," Heero said gruffly, ignoring the throbbing pain in the back of his head. "Besides, I want to get this over with. Call Lady Une, and tell her that I want a trial as soon as this shuttle lands."

Duo rubbed the back of his head. "I don't think that she'll like that, Heero. We pissed her off when we left, remember?" Heero glared at him, and Duo backed away, holding his hands up in front of him. "All right! I'll call her!" He stalked towards the cockpit, leaving Relena and Heero alone.

Relena was the one who broke the silence. "I'm sorry." She said softly. "For pushing you off the balcony." 

"I deserved it, and more." Heero said grimly, trying to hide the pain that he felt.. "Relena…" He looked up at her. "I know that nothing I say will make things right, but…" He struggled to find the right words through the pain induced haze that clouded his brain. "I want to try to make amends." He nearly flinched at the hurt that he saw in her eyes, but refused to look away. He was the one who put that pain there, he would not turn away from it. "I-"

"Are you asking for my forgiveness, Heero?" She asked, and he nodded miserably. "I can't give it. Not for what you've done to others," her voice lowered until it was barely a whisper. "Not for what you've done to me."

"Relena…" Heero began. "I don't want you to-" He trailed off when he heard shouts coming from the cockpit. His eyes narrowed and all of his kind words were gone, replaced by the detached, cool mask that she knew so well. "Sit down." He ordered her roughly. "Far away from me."

Relena nodded, hearing the urgency in his voice. Sitting in a chair that was a few rows down from him and doing up the seat belt. Not a moment too soon either. 

Relena winced as Zechs threw open the cockpit door, looking at Heero warily. "I can't believe you left her alone with him!" He yelled at Duo, who was a step behind him.

"Aw, come off it Zechs!" Duo snapped back at him. "He was tied to the chair, and the only way for him to get free would be for someone to untie him." He scanned the shuttle, noting that Relena was now sitting far away from Heero. "Besides, nothing happened."

"Something could have happened!" Zechs growled at him, clenching his hands into fists. "I don't want him anywhere near my sister!" 

Duo looked at Zechs warily, calculating his odds. Zechs was stronger and had a longer reach, but Duo was faster. Not to mention all the dirty fighting tricks that he had learned as a child on the streets. He tensed, preparing to defend himself as the older man drew his fist back-

"Milliardo!" Zechs froze at the sound of his sister's voice. "There is no reason for you to fight him!" She walked towards them, placing herself between Zechs and Duo. "Everything he said was true. Heero did not escape, and even if he could, what could he have done before I called for help? Absolutely nothing." She glared at him. "So please go back into the cockpit and fly the plane." Zechs shot one last warning look at Duo before he stalked back into the cockpit.

Relena sighed after he had left. "I'm sorry about my brother." She said softly. "He can be over-protective at times. Although, I can't blame him." Her lip curled in disgust. "I have a nasty habit of getting kidnapped." She glanced over at Heero, but he refused to look at her. 

Relena forced herself to look away from him. She couldn't stand this! She couldn't stand being so close to him! She wanted to hurt him for what he had done, but she didn't want him to get hurt… _It's not possible to want both!_ Her words came back to her, mocking her as the echoed inside her head. It seemed that she had made a hypocrite of herself. Because she wanted both.

She walked on unsteady legs to her seat and sat down, trying hard no to stare at the man who was sitting a couple rows in front of her. She loved him still, she knew that she did. Because of the way she felt whenever she saw him. The warmth that spread through her body whenever he talked to her. 

But something was wrong now. Now when she looked at him, she felt something new. Fear. She looked sadly at him, unsure of what she was going to do. _I have to move past this. She told herself angrily. __ I have to be strong and grow stronger from what happened. This has happened to many women before me. Her resolve hardened. __I can do this. I can get past this. She told herself as she looked at Heero, pushing all feelings of love and fear away from her.__ I can forget._

* * * * *

Heero gritted his teeth as the room spun around him. Trying to focus on the judge's words. He had told them everything. The bombings, the families that he had killed, Relena's kidnapping…he had confessed to all the terrorist acts that he had committed, down to the last child. He had watched the people in the stands, trying to gauge their reactions. Most of the people there were victims of his insanity, or knew people who were. He would get no mercy here, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"So…" Heero forced himself to focus on the judge and what she was saying. "…it is the decision of this court that Heero Yuy be executed one week from today." Silence reigned in the courtroom, and Heero could feel the people's eyes upon him, watching for a reaction. He gave none. No emotions showed on his face as the judge spoke. He had been expecting nothing less. Although he couldn't help but be amused at the irony of it all. They had just healed him, so he would be alive for his execution.

He had collapsed the pain from the wound in his head when he tried to exit the shuttle, and had been rushed to the hospital. Not wanting to waste any time before they put him on trial, they'd had a field doctor sew up the gash in his head, and put his broken arm back into place. The doctor had assured the Preventors that he was in excellent condition and would make it through the trial without any problems. 

He was seriously doubting his words right now, as he stood in front of the court, his head feeling like it would split in half if he tried to move. He knew that he was probably very pale by now, and he could feel the sweat running down his face, but he refused to wipe his forehead. He wouldn't give them the pleasure of knowing that he was weakened.

He just wished that this trial would end. He accepted their decision, he wasn't going to fight against their ruling. So why wouldn't they let him out of here? His legs were starting to ache and he struggled to stay standing. He accepted their decision. He was ready to die. So why wouldn't they let him out?

He closed his eyes, trying to keep his balance. Trying to think of happier times, and hoping that it would be enough to make the pain go away. His eyes shot open when he heard someone say his name, and he turned to face the woman who was speaking about him. _Relena…_

"I do not think that it is right to execute him." Her voice held the court spell-bound. "Nothing can be achieved by death. It does not make sense to kill him in order to avenge the many lives that he destroyed. It does nothing to help you. Killing him will not bring back your loved ones." She paused, looking right at him before continuing. "Let him spend his life in prison. Let him live with the guilt of what he has done."

"Is this what you really want, Miss Dorlian?" The judge asked her. "You suffered at the hands of this man as well."

"I'm well aware of that, your Honour." Relena said smoothly. "But I don't think that I could ever suffer so much that I would wish to end someone's life." She tore her gaze away from Heero, looking at the judge. "Please, don't kill him." She said quietly, and Heero was sure that he was the only one who heard her. 

Apparently, the judge did too. She raised her gavel banging it once to get the attention of the court. "This court will take a brief recess, and will reconvene tomorrow morning."  She banged her gavel again and exited the courtroom, ignoring the whispers that had started when she made her decision. 

Heero didn't notice her leave, he didn't hear the whispers; all he could see was Relena. Why had she done this? He didn't understand. Why was she trying to save his life after what he had done to her? It didn't make any sense at all.

"Why?" He asked her, and she smiled sadly at him. "Why are you trying to save me?"

"Life is precious," she said simply. "Even your life." She turned away, unable to face him anymore and walked swiftly down the aisles and out the door. Heero stared at her retreating figure, letting her words wash over him. She had just said that he was worth something. No one had ever told him that before.

He had always been told that he was expendable, and that it would be best if he died while fighting for the cause, because that way, he could use his worthless life to its maximum potential. But Relena- she said that he was special without the missions, without the fighting. 

He cursed himself for hurting her, and he cursed himself for not thanking her. She deserved so much, and he wished that he could give it to her, but that was impossible now. He would stay in jail, maybe he would be executed, and she would move on, find someone new. Someone who deserved her. 

The thought hurt Heero more than his head wound did. Relena with another man, marrying another man, living with another man. It made him want to scream. He wished that he knew how this whole thing would turn out. He wished that he could be there with her, protecting her from anything that would seek to harm her. He wished that… this whole thing had never happened. 

He was grabbed roughly by a Preventor, and was lead out the door, down the hall to his cell. He barely noticed as he was thrown in. He didn't even register the bars slamming shut. All he could think about was her and her words.

_Life is precious, even your life._

He wished with all his heart that he could believe it. 

Author's Note: This is NOT the end! There will be more. Please tell me what ya think! Thanks!


	13. The Dream

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

WARNINGS: MILD LANGUAGE

Deceptions Part 13: The Dream

By Symee-Sama

For the first time in his life, Heero felt lost. He ignored his discomfort from sitting on the cold stone floor of his cell, and thought about the words that Relena had said to him. Did she really think that his life was worth something? Even after what he had done to her? His eyes glanced around the tiny stone room, and he made his decision. She wanted him to live so he could pay for his crimes. He didn't want to be here. He could've escaped easily, but he would stay for as long as it took for him to pay back the pain that he had caused her. Even if it took forever.

_//Is this what you want?//_ The smooth voice said, and all of a sudden, the dark, damp cell was filled with light. Heero tensed. He was back. _//To cower here in this cell for your crimes?//_

_Go away Zero!_ Heero snapped impatiently. He had been coming more and more often now. Badgering him; trying to get him to escape from jail. Trying to get him to kill again. _You're not real. You're just inside my head._

_//Is that what you believe now?//_ Zero was unperturbed, and Heero could've sworn that he was smirking at his discomfort. _//I thought that you were smarter than that. I thought that you were trained to be better than that.//_

_I don't want anything to do with my training!_ Heero clenched his fists, wishing that Zero had a physical form that he could fight. He hated these mind games. He hated fighting with his words instead of his fists. _I don't want to be the perfect soldier anymore. So leave me alone!_

_//How taken you are by their lies.//_

_You lie!_ Heero snapped. _Not them! I trust them!_

_//You trust the people who put you in jail.//_ Zero sneered. _// You trust the people who took away your freedom. What a fool you are! I made you the man you are today, but you still will not trust me.//_

_You made me a murderer._ Heero said flatly.

_//Then make me pay for it.//_ Zero's voice sounded pleased as the light dimmed and a man appeared . _//Go on.// His mouth moved and Zero's voice boomed out. _//Make me pay.//__

Heero lunged at him, a feeling of satisfaction ran through him as his hand connected with his face. Zero's smugness was gone, replaced by pain and disbelief. _You bastard!_ Heero yelled at him. _You made me kill them. You made me hurt her!_

_//Take responsibility for your own actions.//_ Zero taunted. _//You wanted to hurt them and her.//_ Heero's blood ran cold. _//You enjoyed it. Just like you're enjoying this.//_

_This is different!_ Heero yelled and delivered a punch to Zero's gut that made him gasp and his face scrunch up in pain. _You're not an innocent!_

_//But he is.//_ The golden light faded away, and Heero looked at the man he held in horror.  The light was gone and so was Zero; in his place a bruised and bleeding man was in Heero's grasp. His nose had been broken, and Heero could see where he had broken his ribs.

"No," Heero whispered and dropped the man in a crumpled heap. "I'm sorry." He said softly, repeating it in his head like a mantra. "I didn't mean to."

Other guards rushed into the cell, some of them pulling Heero away from the guard's body, others kneeling beside him. "I didn't mean to." He said again as he was pushed to his knees. "I'm sorry." He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, and it took him a moment to realise what had happened. They had hit him.

Pain seared through him again as they hit him a second time and the room spun and blurred, but he remained upright. He could feel blood dripping down his neck, but he ignored it. He deserved this. For what he had done to her. For what he had done to others. He deserved this.

Heero closed his eyes, bracing himself for the blow that he knew was coming, but it wasn't enough. White lights flashed behind his eyes, and his head felt like it was going to explode. For a brief moment, he thought that he was with Relena on the balcony again. He thought he could hear her reprimanding him, feel her pushing him, and then he was falling, hitting the unforgiving stone floor, feeling the blood pooling around him. He could hear an eerie laughter echoing through his head and he shuddered. _Leave me alone, Zero. He thought weakly. __Stop making me hurt people._

_//No matter what you do.//_ Zero's voice chilled Heero's blood. _//You will always hurt people. It's all that you're good for. You will never be more than a murderer.//_

_No_, Heero thought weakly as the room spun and he was swallowed by the darkness.

* * * * *

Relena opened her eyes slowly, taking in her surroundings. Where was she? This wasn't her cell… A slow smile crept over her face when she realised where she was. She had been rescued, and she was at the Preventor Headquarters. She had been rescued!

The very thought made her want to laugh and cry at the same time. She was safe, but nothing would be as it was before. Nothing could be as it was before. The thought made her cringe. Things had been going so well. Everyone had been happy, but then, Heero had told her that he was going away for awhile, and had disappeared. 

She hadn't been worried. She knew that he would come back to her, but she had never expected what would happen when he did come back. She had never thought that he would've fallen back into a world filled with blood and violence. She had never expected him to be – 

Crazy. There. She had said it, but the word still seemed to stick in her throat. He had been the strongest of them all, but he had fallen. He hadn't been able to escape the war. If Heero couldn't escape it, what chance did the rest of them have?

Relena became more and more depressed as she remembered what had happened when she had been rescued. Heero had been hurt. She had hurt him. She had wanted to hurt him for the pain he caused her, and now she regretted it with all her heart. She still loved him, despite everything that had happened, she still loved him. She couldn't stop, no matter how hard she tried.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in." She said, biting back a gasp when Heero entered her room. "What are you doing here?" She demanded. "You should be in jail!" He walked across the room, and for every step that he took towards her she took one back until her back was against the wall. He was too close. It was too soon after everything had happened, and… he was too close.

"I escaped." He stopped in the middle of the room, hurt shining through his eyes. "Relena…" He began, looking at her, his eyes seeming like they could pierce his soul. "Did you mean what you said?" She looked at him blankly. "When you said that my life was precious, did you mean it? Does my life have worth?"

"Every life is valuable." Relena smiled sadly at him, pitying him, and hating herself for helping to reduce him to this. "But it's what you do with it that determines how valuable your life is." Her hand flew to her mouth when she noticed that blood was flowing down his neck. 

"You're bleeding!" She cried and he placed a hand on the back of his head, surprised to feel a warm, sticky liquid flowing through his fingers. "I did this, didn't I?" She asked softly. "This is my fault."

"I don't blame you for anything." Heero assured her. "I shouldn't have expected any other reaction." His eyes had a pleading look in them. "Just…" He broke off, gathering his resolve before speaking again. "Relena," his voice was soft and she had to strain to hear it. "Don't let them kill me."

"They're not going to." Relena informed him. "The judge changed her ruling to life in prison." Heero shook his head violently.

"Not physically," he said in the same soft voice. "Mentally." He ignored Relena's confused expression. "He's killing what I am. He's making me kill." He brought up his bloody hands, and held them out to her. "I can't escape the killing." He stared at his hands, a dull look in his eyes. "Must they always be stained with blood?"

"I don't understand." Relena protested. "What have you done, Heero?" He reached for her, just like he had on the balcony, but this time, she didn't push him away. She simply stared at his hand for a long moment before reaching towards him…

Only to find that her way was blocked by a strange golden light. "Relena!" Heero shouted as the golden light surrounded him, forming a circular prison around him. "Don't let him kill me!" He cried out to her as he pushed against the light, forcing his hand through the barrier. 

Relena grasped his hand, not wanting to let go, but the light had other plans. A scream escaped her lips as she was thrown backwards across the room. No. She opened her mouth to shout his name, but no sound came out. No! She watched in horror as the light closed around Heero, running to him and trying to find a way to reach him before he was smothered by it.

She watched him for agonising minutes, pounding her fists against the light, watching as he desperately tried to reach her through the golden barrier. Tears running down her face as his attempts grew weaker, and his face became flushed from lack of oxygen. He placed a hand over hers, as if he was willing the barrier to go away so he could be with her. _Relena._ He mouthed her name, and she burst into tears again. It couldn't end like this!

As if it was following her commands, the light dissipated, and Heero collapsed, falling into her arms  Relena felt frantically for a pulse, but there was none. His body was cold, and his eyes were lifeless. He was dead. She held him close to her, not wanting to believe it. Tears streamed down her cheeks. He was dead. 

Relena looked up, from his body when the door opened. "Please," she whispered. "Somebody help him…" Her pleas dissolved into screams when she saw who had entered the room. No! She was supposed to be safe here. They had promised that she would be safe here!

"Hello love," James said in a sickeningly sweet tone as he stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"No!" Relena screamed and… woke up? She laughed wildly. It had all been a dream. Heero wasn't dead, and James wasn't in her room. It wasn't real. The door burst open, and she let out a scream as she turned to face the person who had burst into her room. She was trembling as she twisted to face the door, not wanting to look at it. What if it was James?

"Princess?" Relief flooded through her as he rushed to her bedside and looked her over. She felt silly for her actions. James had become her 'bogey man', and she was starting to see him in the shadows. She let out a little laugh. The former Queen of the world, afraid of the dark! She laughed harder.

"Are you okay?" Duo asked her quietly, and she nodded, unable to stop laughing. "What happened?" Relena told him everything. Every little detail, and when she was finished, she realised that tears were streaming down her face, and she couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying.

* * * * *

Sally frowned as she looked at her newest patient, angry with herself for the resentment she was feeling. _A patient is a patient. She told herself. _You can't refuse treatment to someone who needs it. Even if he did try to kill you._ She glanced absently at the burns on her arms. They had faded, and now, the long scars were the only reminders she had of her near death experience. The scars and the nightmares._

She had always wanted to help people. Right after the war ended, she had gone to Preventors, wanting to help maintain the fragile peace that had been created, but it wasn't what she truly wanted to do. She had wanted to be a doctor. So she was studying medicine in her spare time. 

Wufei had been incredibly helpful to her aspirations. Once he had found out what she wanted, he had done his best to help her achieve her goals. He had taken on most of her duties and paperwork as a Preventor so she could have more time to study and learn. He had been doing her paperwork on the day of the bombing, she remembered with a wry smile. 

She had just received her PHD and had come to his office to let him know. After all, it was because of his efforts that she had been able to take the test so quickly, but then Heero had come and ruined everything. Wufei had run out of the office to try in an attempt to stop him, and the next thing that she knew, she was in the hospital. 

Her mouth twisted in disgust as she stared at the young man lying in front of her. She had been in a coma for over a month because of the actions of this man, and now she was supposed to heal him? The irony of it. 

She could refuse to treat him if she wanted to, but she knew that if she did that, he would die. They would have to transfer him to another hospital and he would die before he reached there. She sighed, and moved closer to him, she knew what she had to do. 

"You don't have to help him," she turned around at Wufei's voice. "He doesn't deserve your help after what he's done to you." He walked over to the examination table, his contempt for the other pilot obvious. "After everything that he's done."

"I do have to help him. I can't just leave him to die." Sally stated simply, and picked up some gauze. "Could you help me with something?" She asked him, and he nodded. "Prop him up, so I can get look at the wound in his head."

Wufei did as he was asked, and when Sally saw the back of Heero's head, she grimaced. "What did they do to him?" She wondered aloud as she threaded a needle, and prepared to stitch up his wound. "This is terrible." She began to stitch his skin together with practised, confident movements.

"Relena pushed him off a balcony," Wufei told her. "That's what gave him the wound in the first place. Then, it was made worse by incompetent doctors, and stress." Sally gave him a confused look. "They forced him to stand for hours after he got it." He explained. "For his trial."

"What opened it up again?" Sally asked, not looking up from her work.

"Yuy went nuts in his cell, and beat up a guard." Sally nodded absently, she knew that. She had treated the guard earlier, but that didn't explain how the wound had opened up again. "Then, he was 'subdued' by the other guards." There was more than a trace of scorn in Wufei's voice. He didn't approve of the excessive force used by the guards to subdue Yuy. They had continued to beat him, even after he had fallen unconscious. 

"He's lost a lot of blood." Sally informed him. "A dangerous amount of blood. He will have to stay here until he recovers. They won't be able to provide the proper care for him at the prison." Wufei's eyes widened for a moment with concern, and Sally smiled inwardly. It was nice to know that he cared for her. "I'll have him restrained if it will make you feel better." He nodded, and she tied off the thread. "But he has to stay here for treatment."

Wufei nodded again, and laid Heero back down on the table. "I have to go." He said quickly. "Don't forget to restrain him." He gave her one last nod, and then he was gone. Sally sighed. Why did she always fall for the hard-headed ones?

Well, at least she knew that he cared for her. His annoying reminders and over-protectiveness were his ways of showing his affection. If she wanted love poems, and romantic candlelit dinners, she would definitely have to look elsewhere. Her smile returned. Although he was blunt, and couldn't be a romantic if his life depended on it, she wouldn't have it any other way. She turned back to Heero, all conflicting opinions about him gone now. For some reason, everything seemed so simple and clear-cut after speaking with Wufei.

* * * * *

Duo walked quickly down the halls of the prison. He was confused. He had questions, too many of them, and the only person who could answer them was at the moment, strapped to an observation table in the medical wing of a prison. He sighed softly as he walked down the darkened hallways. He had just had two conversations, and both had affected him differently.

The first had been with Hilde. He had apologised to her, explaining why he had run out of the apartment a week ago. She had been angry at first, not wanting to accept his reasoning, not wanting to give him another chance, but she had relented eventually. He knew that he had a lot of things to make up for with her, but he couldn't do any of them until this whole issue was resolved. He couldn't make any promises or commitments until he found out what was affecting Heero. Hilde understood that now, and she promised him that she would wait.

His second conversation had been with Quatre, and what he had learned had disturbed him. According to Quatre, he had sensed another presence when he'd entered Heero's mind. Duo shook his head. The telepathy stuff was confusing by itself, but what Quatre had told him could explain Heero's actions. There had been another presence in his friend's head. One that wasn't supposed to be there, and one that wasn't natural, but mechanical. 

Quatre had sworn that it was Zero, but Duo didn't know how to handle it. Zero had been destroyed, the system had burned up along with the Gundam, and even if a remnant of the Zero system had survived, how could it be in Heero's head? First of all, it only worked while you were inside the Gundam, and secondly, no one knew how to control the Zero system. Except for the Doctors of course, but they had all died on Libra. 

That was why Duo was here, striding down the halls of a prison. He needed the answers, and he was going to get them one way or another. He wasn't going to let Heero die, and he didn't want him to waste his life rotting away in this dump. He walked into the medical wing and was greeted by Sally. "How is he?" Duo asked her.

"He'll be fine," Sally smiled slightly. "He has remarkable regenerative abilities. You need to talk to him right?" Duo nodded. "All right, I'll leave you two alone, but if you release him there will be hell to pay. He doesn't need to be untied for questions okay? He can answer them just as well, strapped down."

"You've been hanging around Wufei too much, Sally." Duo said dryly. "His opinions of me are starting to rub off on you. That's unhealthy." He smiled.

"I didn't mean it that way…" Sally began, but stopped, realising what he said was correct. "Wufei doesn't really think that you're an idiot."

"Sure he doesn't," Duo rolled his eyes. "He shows me how much he respects me every time I see him. You don't have to lie to me, Sally. Let Wufei think what he wants." He smirked. "I'm just worried that his opinions are rubbing off on you. The last thing this universe needs is another person like him."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sally's tone was sarcastic as she walked out of the room. "I'll be back in an hour." She smiled slightly. "Be good, and don't touch anything."

Duo ignored her parting comment, deciding that he would get her back later for that, and turned his attention to Heero. "Hey buddy," he said softly, and Heero's eyes snapped open. _Okay… Duo thought to himself. __That was freaky. "How are you?"_

"That's a stupid question," Heero stated coldly, and Duo smirked.

"A little pissy, are we?" His smirk faded when he remembered why he had come here. "I got to ask you a few questions, okay?" 

"I need to ask you something first." Heero intervened.

"Go ahead." Duo leaned back in his chair, and linked his hands behind his head. "What do you wanna know?"

"How is Relena?"

He should have expected the question. He really should have, but he didn't, and the question caught Duo off guard. "She's been having nightmares." Duo said quickly, and then resisted the urge to punch himself. He wasn't supposed to tell Heero that, but damn! He hadn't expected that question.

"Nightmares?" Heero's voice hardened. This was his fault. She was suffering because of him. "What kind of nightmares."

"She woke up screaming last night," Duo said in a resigned voice. He had already let the information out, he might as well tell him the whole story. "She was hysterical when we reached her. Babbling about you being killed by light, and James coming back."

"She knows." Heero whispered, and Duo gave him a strange look. "About Zero. Don't you understand? Me being killed by light, that's Zero!"

Heero grew silent after his outburst, and Duo decided to change the topic. If they kept talking about Relena, Heero would become all moody. Duo couldn't blame him for agonising over what he had done to her, but he needed this information. "So… What happened in that cell yesterday?"

"Zero tricked me into beating up one of the guards." Heero said tonelessly. "He made me believe that the guard was a physical manifestation of him."

One question answered. "Okay, what do you remember about this last year?" Duo leaned forward. This was the important question. This could tell them what had happened to their friend.

"Nothing. I can only remember the visions." 

"How do you know that they weren't real?" 

"Because they couldn't be. The people who were in them were dead, the things that happened in them weren't possible."

"But before, you said that you remembered the people that you killed right?" Duo asked, and Heero nodded. "So how are those memories different from these 'visions'"

Heero thought about that for a moment. "They're not different."

_So it's possible that these memories could be real._ Duo thought to himself. "Can you tell me about your 'visions'?"

"The doctors were in them." Heero began slowly. "They were doing things to me, experimenting with some new invention. They did something to my head… Then they tested the invention by sending me on missions…" Duo arched an eyebrow. Now they were getting somewhere. "But this is all impossible. The doctors died."

"Keep going." Duo urged, somewhat surprised that Heero was talking so much.

Heero frowned. "I remember going back to them after my last mission."

"The one to kill Trowa?" Duo supplied, but Heero shook his head.

"No, I got caught on that one." Heero said quietly. "The one before that. The bombing. I got stabbed and Doctor J helped me heal…" He frowned again. "Could I have imagined all this?" He wondered aloud, looking at Duo for some answers.

"I don't know, but there's a way we can find out," Duo told him, and leaned back, trying to sort through the new information. According to Heero's 'visions' the doctors were alive, and could the new invention have been a new type of Zero system? One that didn't require a Gundam, but could manipulate someone's actions from inside their head? It made sense, and if it was true…

Then Heero wasn't as guilty as everyone thought. His actions would have been beyond his control. Duo shuddered, remembering his own run-in with the Zero system. What would it be like to have that presence inside your head? He shuddered again, he didn't even want to think about it. But this… This new information could answer all his questions, and could clear Heero's name. 

"Do you remember where you stayed when you got hurt?" Duo asked and Heero nodded.

"On L1, the slums." Heero began. "Sector 08." Duo pulled out a scrap of paper.

"Hold on." He said quietly. "I got to write this down." Everything was falling into place. His questions would soon be answered, and if everything went right, Heero's name would be cleared.  They would find the doctors, and everything would be explained. He grinned at Heero and brandished his pen with a flourish. "Sorry, could you repeat that?" His grin grew. "I'm terrible with directions."

Heero repeated them, and Duo whipped out his cell phone, dialing Une's number. "Hey Une!" Duo smiled. "We got an address!" He listened for a moment. "Yeah, I'll need a team, and I'll need a partner. Heero's obviously out… Is Quatre free? He's great to work with." He listened for a moment more. "Aw, c'mon! You can't be serious! Are you-" He cut off glaring at the call phone as if the entire predicament was its fault. "Shit." He said softly, and Heero glanced over at him.

"What is it?" The stoic man asked, and Duo grimaced, looking like he had a bad taste in his mouth.

"I'm being partnered with Wufei." 

Author's Note: I've actually finished the story now, but the ending was way too rushed for my taste, so I will be revising it before I post it. Deceptions is officially 15 chapters long, plus an epilogue. And OOH 7 pages. Check out my long chapter! Hehe, sorry it took so long. And check it out! The braided baka is the one who's figuring EVERYTHING out!!! Go Duo! 


	14. The Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing

Deceptions Part 14: The Meeting

By Symee-Sama

The raid had been quick, efficient and brutal. Doctor J was dead, but he had taken the entire Preventors team with him. _The damn fool was too stubborn to go down with out a fight, but he had finally bit it._ Duo thought grimly as he massaged his sore shoulder. They hadn't been expecting the myriad of traps. They had actually been locked into the lab. Doctor J had so many traps in there that it was a miracle that any of them had got out alive. 

* * * * *

Duo sprinted down the hallways of the lab, cursing himself for not thinking ahead. They hadn't been expecting any real defences here, and man, had they paid for it. His entire team was trapped in a room, slowly suffocating. He glanced at the man beside him. Wufei had a grim look on his face as he ran down the halls. "Go to the communications room, and tell Une what happened." Duo ordered him. "Left here, second right, and then first right." Wufei grimaced at the thought of taking orders from Duo, but he still turned around the corner, flashing Duo his middle finger before disappearing from view. Duo continued on alone.  

Duo cursed again, and ran faster. He had to find the Doctors, and turn this whole thing around. He followed the directions that Heero had given him. Left, then right, skip the next two hallways, and then left again. _This place is a friggin' maze._ He thought as he finally reached the centre of the lab, and pulled out his gun, aiming it at the old man who was sitting at a table in front of him.

"How are you, Duo?" J asked, not surprised in the least to see him. "I haven't seen you since you helped us get to Libra during the war…"

"I'm not big on small talk," Duo cut the Doctor off impatiently. "Tell me what you did to Heero, and I'll let you live."

"What I did to Heero?" Doctor J chuckled. "I improved him. I made him a better soldier than he had ever been. You saw how efficient he became. He could function with three stab wounds." His mechanical hand clicked together. "He is truly, my most successful experiment to date."

"Experiment?" Duo yelled at him. "You played God with his life before the war, experimenting and enhancing him, but after the war he started to live like a normal person again. He was happy…" Duo trailed off miserably for a moment before he could control his anger. "And then you had to go a screw it up! You had to take him, and do all your experiments on him! He was happy!"

"I know he was happy." J said calmly, not affected in the least by Duo's outburst. "That's why I did it, you see. That's why I took him back." Duo shot him a confused look. "Heero is a weapon." J began, in a tone that sounded like it would be put to better use lecturing a small child. "He's not allowed to have feelings. Happiness, sadness… he's not allowed to feel. So I made sure that he couldn't. I erased all his distractions."

"That's sick." Duo grimaced. "So what did you actually do to him? How come he can talk to Zero in his head? How'd you manage to do that?"

"I implanted a chip with the Zero System into the base of his skull." Doctor J boasted. "Not only did he survive the operation, but it functioned perfectly as well! None of the other scientists could see my vision. None of them could understand. It wasn't about how much money we could get from creating the perfect soldier, but the very fact that we created him that mattered!" 

Duo shook his head slightly. This guy was nuts. "So… if we removed the chip, then he'll go back to normal?" 

"If you removed the chip, it would kill him." Doctor J informed the braided pilot, shattering all his hopes. "The Zero system is part of him now, and he can never escape it. He could never be more than a soldier, a murderer, so you might as well kill him."

"No!" Duo shouted at him. "I refuse to believe that! He has the potential to be normal! He succeeded in being normal before you waltzed in a screwed up his life! There's got to be a way to turn him back!" 

Doctor J shook his head. "There is none. This Zero system is stronger than the one in the Gundams. There I no way that he can escape it. He may have been able to resist it temporarily, but it will keep coming back. It is tireless, and it will win. It is the perfect system." With movements that belied his years, he pulled out a gun and shot Duo in the shoulder. "You will just have to accept that."

Duo looked at his shoulder in disbelief; unbelievable pain was radiating from the tiny wound. "What the hell is this?" He asked weakly as he pulled at the tiny dart imbedded in his skin until it came out. He was already groggy. This was not good. "What did you hit me with?"

"A sedative." The Doctor informed him. "It will wear off in a few hours, and by then you will be a new man, Mr. Maxwell." Duo's eyes widened. He couldn't mean… "It will be interesting to see how you are affected by the Zero system." J continued. "You didn't manage to master it-"

Doctor J cut off as pain engulfed him, looking down in shock at the growing red stain on his chest. "No way in hell I'm gonna be one of your experiments." Duo slurred. "You should have seen what you did to Heero… screwed him over real good." The gun clattered to the ground, and Duo stared dumbly at it, before switching his attention to the fallen man in front of him. "There's no way in hell." Duo repeated slowly, as he watched the Doctor die. "That you're gonna get the God of Death." He smiled slightly, and collapsed to the floor, the darkness slowly overtaking him. __

* * * * *

Duo grimaced. He had been a fool. It was his fault that his team had died. It was his fault that they had suffocated. He had gotten emotional, and had screwed up royally. He was lucky that he had managed to get that shot at J or else he could have ended up like Heero did. It was also lucky that Wufei found him or he would have bled to death from the wound in his shoulder.

That was another sore spot. Wufei would never let him live that embarrassment down. Having to be saved like a friggin' damsel in distress. He shook his head angrily. Why was he worried about a little embarrassment? There were bigger things to worry about. Like what they were going to do with Heero.

His shoulders slumped forward in surrender. It was all over, and they could clear Heero's name, but they could never rid him of Zero's influence. He forced a smile as he walked towards visiting area of the prison, and waited until they brought Heero out so they could talk. 

"How ya doing, buddy?" Duo asked as Heero sat down, and continued before Heero could reply. "I know, I know. It's a stupid question, but-"

"That's not what I was going to say." Heero interrupted the braided man. "I'm all right." He looked into his friend's eyes, noting the hopelessness and guilt in them. "What about you?" 

"I've had better days." Duo admitted, the guilt in his eyes intensifying. It was his fault that that his team had died. "I got good news and bad news. What do you wanna hear first?" He waited for an answer, but got none, so Duo chose for him. "All right, the good news is that the doctors are dead. All of them. So you don't need to worry 'bout them anymore." 

Duo waited for a reaction, a flicker of emotion on Heero's face, but there was no response. They had really done a number on him. Finally moulded him into the soldier that they wanted. Even during the war he had shown more emotion than he did now, and before he'd disappeared, he had been able to show and understand his emotions just like any other person. But now… Duo hated thinking about his best friend this way, but with that chip in his head, it was no different from talking to a machine. 

Heero still hadn't said a word; he'd waited patiently while Duo collected his thoughts, and made no movement or sound. "I just spaced out, didn't I?" Duo asked and Heero nodded. "For how long?" Heero told him, and Duo gaped. Twenty minutes! And Heero hadn't moved for the entire time, he hadn't even blinked. Duo shuddered. They had to find a way to bring the old Heero Yuy back. 

"The other good news is that you're going on trial again." Duo continued, wishing that Heero would do something that would show that he was human. "The evidence that we found at the lab gave rise to the suspicion that you weren't in full control of your body or mind. So you might be cleared of all the charges against you…"

"I don't want to be."

"What?" Duo yelled, and Heero repeated what he had said. "Why not? You really want to live in this jail forever? You wanna rot here, Heero?"

"I deserve this." Heero said tonelessly. "For everything that I've done. I've killed too many people to be freed, Duo."

"It was the doctors that made you that way!" Duo yelled at him. "They were the ones that made you do those things!" He reached over and shook Heero by the shoulders. "So stop it with the guilt trip! Stop blaming yourself for everything! It was their orders that made you do all that stuff!"

Heero's encircled Duo's hands in an iron grip, and pulled them away from his shoulders. "The doctors may have given the orders, but I was the one who pulled the trigger. I'm the one with their blood on my hands. I can't just forget that and move on. I'm going to stay here. End of story."

Duo knew better than to argue with him, once Heero made a decision he rarely changed his mind. Duo sat back in his seat, unconsciously rubbing his sore wrists. "So you want the bad news now?" Heero nodded. "You're stuck with Zero." Heero stiffened slightly. "If we take the system out then it will kill you."

"Then kill me." Heero said calmly. "As long as that system is active, I am a danger to everyone around me." Duo shook his head. "Do it Duo! What happens if Zero wins? What happens if I lose control? If I escaped I could kill all of you. I could kill Hilde."

Duo froze at his last words and sighed. "I know, but I'm not gonna kill you for something that you had no control over. So deal with it." Heero glared at him, but Duo ignored it. "You mastered the system before, so there's no reason why you can't master it again."

"This system's different." Heero said dully. "It's stronger, and-"

"You can't escape it." Duo interjected and Heero nodded. "I know that it's hard, but you have to try. I don't want to kill you, and I don't want you to waste away in here…" Duo looked down at his hands.

"There's something that you're not telling me." Heero noted. "What is it Duo?"

"Uh…" Duo rubbed the back of his head. "You've got another visitor." He grinned weakly, and walked to the door, opening it slightly to talk to the guards outside. "She needs to talk to you about some things." Duo said after he closed the door. 

"Relena?" Heero said in a strained voice, and Duo nearly sighed in relief. A human reaction! It was ironic that she was the only one who could affect him like that, especially after this whole fiasco. He smiled sadly at his friend. He hoped Relena could help him. She had always been the one who made him human. She was the one who had found his buried humanity in the first place, and had brought it to the surface. 

"When?" Heero asked in the same strained voice, and Duo grinned. What he was going to say would really punch a hole in the Perfect Soldier's composure. He glanced at his watch, and then at the door, before his gaze swung back to his friend.

"Now," Duo said calmly as Relena swept through the door, and sat in the chair across from Heero. 

* * * * *

Relena felt terrible. She knew that she shouldn't have felt so guilty, but she couldn't help it. She had looked over the evidence that Duo and Wufei had brought back from the raid on Doctor J's lab, and had seen a video recording of the fabricated memories that had been shown to Heero. 

She had been terrible in them, and for some reason, she felt incredibly guilty about it. She shook her head slightly, this was ridiculous. She hadn't killed Duo, and she hadn't cheated on Heero. So why did she feel so bad about it? 

It was horrible. The things that she had read and seen in the documents were beyond belief. The surgery for the implant had been described in great detail, and it had made her stomach turn. How could someone treat a human being like that? Like they were nothing more than an experiment. They had twisted Heero into something unrecognisable. 

And it was killing her. It was because of her intervention that his life had been saved, but he was still going to spend his entire life in jail for a crime that was beyond his control. He hadn't been able to control his actions. He had been manipulated by the Zero system. All these thoughts ran through her mind. 

It wasn't his fault. None of it was. Not really, and yet, she was still wary of him. She still wanted to see him punished for his actions, even though he had no control over them. She felt terrible for that too. For wanting him to suffer because he had been manipulated by a machine, but-

How could she look at him and not remember the insane look in his eyes? How could he not remember his coldness as he took her to the shuttle that would take her to her owner? How could she forget these things? She had promised herself once that she would forget, that she would put all of her troubles behind her, but she couldn't.

She had tried. She had buried herself in activities. Diving right back into the role as Vice Foreign Minister despite the protests of her brother and Noin, and she had been able to forget temporarily. She had been able to push her experiences to the back of her mind during the day, but what about at night? How could she forget about her experience at night? When the softest sounds scared her witless, making her remember the days when she would sit up late at night, miserable and alone, listening for the sound of His footsteps coming down the hall towards her room. 

How could she escape the dreams that would make her wake up screaming? The ones where Heero died, or worse, the ones where he watched as James touched her, laughing all the while. She couldn't forget. No matter how hard she tried to, and she didn't think that she would ever be able to forgive him. No matter how many times she told herself that he had been manipulated, she couldn't forgive him. She had read about all the terrible things that had been done to him, and she could pity him, but she couldn't forgive him. She could never forgive him. 

All these thoughts ran through her head as she stepped into the visitors area, taking a seat across from Heero. She smiled at Duo, saying hello to him before her gaze swung to Heero, and she looked past him, focusing on the walls behind him. She couldn't look at his face. She was almost afraid to. What if she looked at him and he was sneering at her? What if she looked at him, and there was the insane glint in his eyes that had been there in the cell when Zero had been manipulating him? Or worse, what if she looked in his eyes and saw nothing? Nothing that resembled the Heero Yuy that she had known and loved. She didn't know if she could handle it.

"All right," Duo smiled slightly, trying to break the ice. "I'm supposed to lay down some ground rules." Heero looked at him impassively, nodding for him to continue. "First off, I can't leave the two of you in here alone. I have to be within reach of both of you at all times. Basically, I can stand about four feet away and that's it. So, I hope that you have no objections to having a third wheel here-"

"That will be fine, Duo." Relena cut in with a politician's grace. "Is there anything else that we should know?" She asked calmly, still unable to look at Heero.

"Yeah," Duo took a deep breath. "If any threatening or provoking words are said by either of you, Heero will be sedated, and you will be escorted from the premises. If I suspect that you are in danger, I am to sedate Heero and escort you from the premises. If I am attacked by Heero, you are to run for dear life to the door, where another guard will meet you and escort you from the premises. There are a lot of other things that I'm supposed to tell you, but the gist of it is, if there is trouble, he will be sedated and you will be escorted from the premises. Got that?" Both Heero and Relena nodded, and Duo pushed his chair back from the table. 

"Then I guess I'll give you two a little privacy." He stood up, and began to walk away. He made it six feet from them before he remembered what he was supposed to do and turned back to them. "Sorry," he gave an apologetic smile as he walked towards them again, positioning himself within arms reach of them. "I forgot. Privacy is not an option."

Relena smiled back at him. "No apology is necessary." She said earnestly. "I trust you not to repeat what was said in here." She noticed the torn look in Duo's eyes. "Although, if you feel the need, you may repeat some of it to Hilde." She could understand the need to share information with someone. It helped to alleviate the pressure of knowing, if someone close to you knew too. She had done the same thing with Heero many times before he had disappeared. 

She turned her attention back to Heero, studying the wall behind him. "So," she began, still avoiding his eyes. "I suppose that Duo has told you that Doctor J is dead." Heero nodded, and she continued. "Did he tell you that I read the documents on your treatment?" She asked him.

"No." Heero said, and she opened her mouth to continue, but he held up a hand, stopping her. "Relena, if you're going to talk to me, then I want you to actually look at me." She suddenly discovered a stain on the table, and stared at it as if it were fascinating. "Relena." His voice pulled at her, willing her to look at him, but she resisted the pull. What if he wasn't there? What if the man that she loved wasn't there?

"Relena," he said again, and his hand cupped her chin. She tried to shy away from the contact, but he held her in an iron grip. "Look at me." He forced her to look into his eyes, and she could see the pain in them and the guilt. He was still Heero. He was older, and tireder, but he was still Heero. Relief washed over her, and she let out a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding. 

His eyes were still scanning hers, and he grimaced suddenly. "You're afraid of me." It was a statement, not a question. She nodded, and he released her chin, slumping back in his chair. "I wanted to see many emotions in your eyes, but fear was not one of them." He said softly, and she opened her mouth to speak, but he didn't give her a chance. "I know what you're going to say." He said in his cool monotone.

"You're going to try to convince me that this wasn't my fault. That it was the fault of the doctors and that I was merely a pawn, so I can't be held accountable for my actions, but I can. I was the one who did all of those things. I was the one who killed all of the people." Relena shook her head violently, but he ignored her. "I could've fought the system, but I didn't even attempt to." Relena was still shaking her head, and he reached out to stop her, hurt filling his eyes when she flinched away from his touch. 

"I can't escape the system." He said softly, pulling his arm away from her and closing his eyes. "I've tried, but I can't escape it." His eyes snapped open, and against her will, she flinched again. "You saw how dangerous I was. You saw how uncaring, how insane I was when Zero was in control. I nearly strangled you, and I thought it was fun.

"That's what you see when you look at me isn't it? That's why you flinch away from me. You see the monster that I was when I was under the influence of the Zero system. You know what I'm capable of if I'm not in control. You've experienced it first hand. So that's why I've got to stay in here."

Relena nodded slightly, in complete agreement with him, but the naïve little girl inside of her gave one last effort to convince him to leave with her. "But you'll be wasting your life in here." She said quietly. "Life is precious, remember? So why would you willingly waste it?" This time, he was the one who flinched and she knew that she had struck a chord.

With agonisingly slow movements, he placed his hand over hers. "It's not a waste." She resisted the instinct to pull her hand away, and relaxed into the simple comfort of human touch. "As long as I'm in here, you're safe, and protecting you could never be a waste." She glanced up at him, startled by his confession. 

"I've ruined too many lives." He went on, forgetting about Duo, forgetting about the prison, forgetting about everything except for her. "I almost ruined your life. Let me do this for you. You deserve someone better, someone who you can trust. Someone who you can look at without fear in your eyes. I can't give you that, Relena. So forget about me and find someone who can give you what you deserve."

_I don't want someone else, I want you!_ Her heart yelled, but Relena ignored its cries. Nodding sadly before she removed her hand from his, and stood up. "I'll visit you." She said softly, trying her hardest to smile, and show him that this wasn't really killing her. To shield him from her pain because she knew that he would feel it just as acutely as she did. 

He nodded slowly. "I would like that." He said, watching as she turned away from him and was escorted by Duo to the door, ignoring the vice that had gripped his heart. Outside, he looked unconcerned and bored, but inside, he was a whirlwind of emotions, all of them tearing him up. For the first time in his life, he wanted to weep.

She stopped at the door, looking back at him. "Goodbye Heero." She said, and he opened his mouth to reply, but she was gone. 

_Goodbye. _He leaned back in his chair, ignoring the wetness on his cheeks and wondering why it felt like something had died within him. 

Author's Note: Yeah, yeah. I know. The raid was rushed and Doctor J died really quickly, but I honestly didn't know any other way to write it. I suck at writing fighting parts. Thanks to everyone for the reviews.! More 1xR coming up (Sorry Rei :p), and you find out about Catherine. And yeah, I love how Duo's working everything out too. He's sooo much fun to write! 


	15. The Return

Disclaimer: I own Gundam Wing, and all it's characters. I make millions off of these stories and Heero is my boyfriend. And if you actually believe any of this disclaimer, you're crazier than I am. 

Deceptions Part 15: The Return

By Symee-Sama

It was late at night when Duo stumbled into Hilde's apartment. He had flown on the last shuttle out to L2, and it was well past midnight now. _I should've called her, Duo grimaced. _Instead of coming down here and waking her up._ He bit back a sigh at his own rashness. Well, it didn't matter what he should have done. He was here now, and he might as well do what he came to do. _

He walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind him, and sat on the edge of the bed. "Hil," he said softly, shaking her shoulder. "Wake up." Her eyes opened lazily before she shut them again. "Hil," Duo said again. "If you don't get up, I'm going to dump a bucket of water over your head."

She turned to face him quickly, glaring at him. "You are such an asshole."

"Nice to see you too." He smiled slightly, and gathered her into his arms. "God Hil, I missed you." She let him hold her for a moment, still dazed with sleep before she pulled away, and looked at him.

"Duo, it's-" She glanced over at the digital clock beside the bed. "After three in the morning. What was so important that it couldn't wait until tomorrow?" She asked him, concern in her voice. "Or couldn't be said over the vid-phone?"

Duo stared at her for a moment, running over his reasons in his head. They all seemed so stupid now, so pointless, and he was sure that she would laugh at him, or call him an idiot for coming all the way out here to tell her something so trivial. 

"I –It's just what happened today." Duo began, trying to figure out a way to make it seem more important. After a few moments of trying he accepted the inevitable. There was no way to build it up, it would be better if he just came out with it. "Relena visited Heero in jail today, and –" He cut off as remnants of their conversation came back to him. "It was heartbreaking. I don't know how they could stand it."

She laid her head on his chest, and asked him to continue, so he did. He told her everything. From the shocked look on Heero's face when Relena walked in to the pained look in his eyes when she walked out. Hilde didn't say a thing until he was finished. "They don't deserve this." A strange mix of anger and helplessness in his eyes. "They were both so brave during the war, and afterwards, when Mariemaia attempted to take over. They were so…" He trailed off, searching for the right word.

"Selfless," Hilde supplied, and Duo nodded. "They were both ready to give their lives for the sake of peace." She continued softly. "Only to be forced through this." She looked up at Duo, seeing all the emotions in his eyes. Anger, uncertainty, helplessness… They were all there, but hope was there too, and she wished with all her heart that she didn't have to dispel it. She took a deep breath before continuing. He deserved to know the truth.

"Duo…" She began, hating what she had to say. "She won't forgive him." He turned his head so he was looking at her, and she kept talking, destroying his hope. "Relena will never forgive Heero for what he's done."

"She's strong," Duo rasped. "She'll make it through this and grow from it. She'll learn to trust him again." He was trembling with conviction. "She loves him. I know she does. And he feels the same way for her. So why can't it work out?"

"She won't be able to forget." Hilde said softly. "And he will never forgive himself for what he did to her."

"It wasn't his fault!" Duo protested. "He couldn't help himself!" 

"I know that," Hilde assured him. "But you have to look at it from their perspective, Duo. Imagine if you were Heero and I was Relena. Do you think that I would be able to just forget it and move on? Would you be able to forget what you did, and act like everything was like it used to be? Duo-" Hilde paused for a moment to catch her breath. "I love you more than anything, but if you did that to me… I would never be able to forget it. Never."

She heard his breath catch at her last statement, and he stiffened. "Never?" He whispered, and she nodded. "Hilde, they don't deserve this. They deserve a 'happily ever after'…" He closed his eyes miserably. "It's not fair. It's just not fair."

Hilde wrapped her arms around him, burying her face into his neck. "It never is." She said softly and held him tighter. "It never is." 

* * * * *

Trowa glanced at the blonde man beside him as they entered the mental institution. "Are you sure this will work?" He asked and when Quatre shook his head, he felt his nervousness increase. "Then why are we doing this?" 

"We've tried everything else." Quatre said simply, a determined look on his face. "And it is an interesting theory. I never would have thought of it." 

They had been searching for a way to bring Catherine back to the way that she was for four years now, but all their searching had come to naught. There wasn't a single thing that modern medecine could do for his sister, and they were stuck. Or at least they were until Heero requested that they visit him. He had an idea. One that might help Catherine. 

Trowa had hated the idea, only willing to go along with it because there was a chance that it would bring his sister back. He didn't trust Heero. He couldn't, not even after four years, and would never accept what he said. But Quatre had been intrigued by Heero's theory. He had proposed that they try it, and baceuse they had no other options, Trowa had agreed. 

If Quatre could find Heero within the recesses of his mind and fend off the Zero system, he was probably strong enough to go inside Catherine's mind and bring her back to the surface. That was the theory anyway, and Quatre was more than willing to try it. 

They nodded politely to the nurses as they passed them, walking quickly down the halls until they reached Catherine's room. Trowa gestured inside and Quatre entered the room, looking sadly at the woman who sat on the bed in front of him. She was in a fetal postion, her knees pulled tightly to her chest as she rocked mindlessly back and forth, humming a lullaby to herself.

"Cathy?" Trowa walked up to her side and placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched away from his touch. "Cathy, I've brought someone to see you." She continued rocking back and forth, staring out the window beside her bed. "Cathy, say something."

"I'm a murderer." She whispered, and Trowa felt his heart break a little more. "I killed him." She said in the same soft tone. Four years now, but she still wouldn't say anything other than those two sentences. She didn't talk, or even move from her bed. She simply rocked back and forth, day after day. 

He visited her everyday. He had even moved to L1 so he could be near her, and prayed to the God that he had never had faith in for divine intervention. He would do anything to bring her back. Anything. 

He glanced at Quatre, hiding his feelings behind his emotionless mask. He knew that it was pointless to try and hide what he felt. Quatre could feel what he did, but it made him feel secure to know that no one else would be able to know how hurt he was inside. 

Trowa stepped back from the bed, nodding to Quatre, and letting him take his place beside Catherine. Quatre grabbed one of her hands, gripping it tightly in his, and with his other hand, he brushed away her bangs, placing his hand on her forehead. He smiled reassuringly at Trowa as he closed his eyes and forced his way into Catherine's mind. "Everything will be fine." He assured his friend, an instant before his eyes went blank and he exited reality as he knew it.

* * * * *

_This is different._ Quatre marvelled, looking around the darkness. _This is different from Heero's mind._ He really should have expected differences, after all Heero and Catherine were completely different people, but he hadn't expected differences to the extent that he felt here.

Heero's mind had been dangerous. Full of hidden pitfalls, traps, and the merciless Zero system, but Catherine… her mind was the complete opposite. Her mind was open to him, and it would not be very difficult for him to find her. 

_Catherine?_ Quatre listened to his voice echo through her mind. _Where are you?_ He felt a slight presence behind him, and turned around. _Catherine? He asked quietly as he found himself face to face with a little girl with brown curls. She could have been the splitting image of the Catherine that he knew. _What's your name?_ Quatre asked, and the little girl glanced up at him before casting her eyes down at the ground._

_Cat._ She said shyly, kicking the ground. _Why are you here? She asked innocently. __ This isn't your place. You don't belong here. You're too big, and you're a boy. She grimaced. __Boys aren't allowed in here. They've got cooties. You should leave if you don't belong here. Nothing new can last very long in here._

_What do you mean?_ Quatre asked, his curiosity getting the best of him. _Nothing new lasts here? Cat nodded, and he took a step towards her. _I don't understand. __

_I don't either. _Cat smiled. _But whenever something new comes, it dies very quickly. One time it was a park, it was pretty, and green, but it faded after a few moments. And one time it was a puppy._

_And they all faded?_ Quatre asked, forming a theory in his mind.

_Yes. _Cat said solemnly. _They're not all nice things though. One time they were knives, and I hurt myself on them when I tried to pick them up. _She showed Quatre a ragged scar that ran up her arm. _Other times, I would be surrounded by fire, and I wanted my mommy, but she wasn't there. The fire had taken her. _

Quatre smiled, motioning for her to continue. It almost seemed to him that these things that she spoke of were thoughts. Thoughts that Catherine wanted to have, but were smothered. How? What was smothering them, and how could he destroy it?

_And one time it was a boy. He was taller than you, with brown hair that fell over his face, and covered his eye. I wanted to see him so badly. I didn't want him to fade away like the other things had. I didn't want him to die._

_Did he die? _Quatre asked, knowing that it was Trowa that she talked about.

_Yes. I ran towards him, and I thought that I had made it because he was still there when I got to him, but when I tried to touch him… He went away. He faded like all the others did. _Tears welled up in her eyes. _I didn't want him to die. He was special. I didn't want him to die. She turned to face him. __I don't want you to die either. You don't belong here, and I don't want you to fade._

_You're right._ Quatre agreed. _I don't belong here, but I have to stay for awhile. I have a certain duty to perform. Is that all right with you? He asked and she nodded. _Thank you, Little One._ She grinned at the nickname for a moment before becoming serious once more. _

_You're not going to fade? _Cat was confused, she reached out and touched his arm, poking it a couple of times before she stepped back, grinning from ear to ear. _No, you're not. You're really not!_

_How can you tell? _Quatre asked her. _What makes me different from the other things?_

_I killed the other things. _She said sadly. _I don't want to, but they die when I come near. I even tried to stay away once, but they come after me. I don't want to kill any more. I don't want to be a murderer. The man used to come, and he would be able to stay for awhile before he faded, but that all changed. _

She gestured vaguely. _Another man came, and he seemed as nice as the other one. I liked him, and wanted to get to know him. I came near him, and he started to tell me a story, a sad story about mermaids. I liked it, and so did the other man, because he came to listen. She paused for a moment, he small hands trembling. ___

_The instant the nice man came, he was attacked. The man stopped telling his stories and attacked the nice one. I wanted him to stop. I didn't want the nice one to get hurt, so I hit him… and he died, but so did the nice man, and so did everything else. They all died. They all faded away. Except for the story man. He stayed. I want him to go away, but he won't._

_Take me to him. _Quatre advised her. _I may be able to make him go away._

_I would like that. _Cat grabbed Quatre's hand, and began to lead him into the darkness. _I don't like it here. She confided in him. __It's so dark, and scary. You see, I don't belong here either. I live in a world of rainbows and sunsets. Where nobody dies, and the story always ends with a happily ever after. I want to go home, but only the nice man can take me there. Only the nice man._

_If you went away, would the thoughts stop dying? _Quatre asked, and was surprised when she nodded. 

_I don't belong here either._ She repeated, her solemn eyes seeming to peer into his very soul. _I never did, and for some reason, the one who does belong here can't come out while I'm here. I think she's in my world._ She said sadly. _I hope she's not destroying my rainbows, like I'm destroying her thoughts. I wouldn't be able to bear it. We're here._

The conversation stopped so abruptly, that Quatre had to blink several times to realise that there was something in front of them, lurking in the darkness. _Show yourself! He ordered, and gasped when a crumpled figure of Heero came into view._

_You see? _Quatre could hear the hopelessness in the little girl's voice. _I killed him. I'm nothing more than a murderer… Tears filled her eyes, and she slumped to the ground. __I killed him._

_No._ Quatre corrected her gently, and Cat gave him a strange look. _Heero__ is alive, Little One. He's in jail. He focused on the corpse, willing it to go away, but it remained. Quatre wanted to curse with frustration. Maybe he had been wrong before. Maybe this mind was even more dangerous than Heero's. He couldn't control what happened in this mind. He could only hang on and enjoy the ride. _

_I didn't kill him? _Quatre nodded and Cat's eyes filled with tears of happiness. _I'm not a murderer? He nodded again and Heero's corpse shimmered slightly before disappearing. Cat was all smiles and laughter until she realised that she was fading as well. __What's happening?_

_You said that you don't belong here._ Quatre explained softly. _So I'm sending you home, and bringing back the person who does belong here. He smiled at her, and ruffled her hair before he knelt beside her. __Do you see that man? He asked, and pointed at a spot in front of her where Trowa had appeared. She nodded. _He will protect you and bring you back to where you belong. Go to him, Little One.__

Cat's smile returned as she ran towards Trowa and jumped into his arms. She was going home! She snuggled into his chest, and this time, when she started to fade, she wasn't scared. Because she knew that no matter where she went, he would always be with her.

Quatre smiled at the touching scene in front of him, and walked over to the spot that they disappeared. _Catherine._ He said softly. _You can come out now. She's gone._ He smiled as she shimmered into being in the same spot as Trowa had been.

_She's not here? _Catherine lifted her head, and smiled at the blond man. _I feel like I've slept for years. _Her smile grew._ How is Trowa?_

_He will be better when he sees that you are safe. _Quatre informed her, and grasped her hand. _You've been away for a very long time. Let's leave this place. _He said as he exited her mind, pulling her along with him.

* * * * *

Trowa rushed to Catherine's side when her eyes fluttered open, and she unfolded her legs, stretching her arms. "Cathy?" He said in a shocked voice. "Is it you?" He pulled her into his arms. "Is it really you?"

She laughed, and he could've kissed her for it. He hadn't heard her laugh in four years. "It's me, Trowa." She assured him. "I'm so sorry for leaving you..." She began but Trowa stopped her. 

"You're here now." He said softly. "And that's all that matters to me." He glanced to Quatre. "It seems that I owe Heero an apology."

Quatre nodded. "We all do. We've known the truth about the issue for years. We've known that Zero had a hold on him, and that it had forced him to do things, but we ignored it. We held onto the pain and the hurt that he had caused it and ignored the facts." He sighed. "I don't think that any of us will ever be able to go back to the way that things used to be, but we should try, Trowa. He's tried his hardest to atone for the things that he's done to us, and it's time that we started working on atoning for the way that we treated him."

Trowa nodded. "It won't be easy." 

A grim look crossed Quatre's face, and Trowa knew that he was remembering Iria. "No," he said finally. "It won't be easy, but life never is."

* * * * *

Heero smiled in the darkness of his cell. Catherine was better, and Trowa had come to thank him. He was slowly gaining back the trust of his friends, and he was happier than he had been in years. He had never realised just how much he had needed and wanted their trust until he lost it. 

_//Why do you need them?//_  Zero's voice entered his mind. _//You've got __me._/___/ The golden light surrounded him, and for one frightening moment, Heero felt himself give up. He was surrendering to the light, and he would never feel pain again. _

Relena's face appeared in his mind, and his eyes snapped open. It was true. He would never feel pain again if he let Zero take over, but what about her? Would he cause her more pain than he already had? He wasn't sure if he could bear causing her more pain. 

_I don't need you, Zero._ Heero said, pushing the light away. _I will never need you again. _

_//You can't escape __me._/___/ Zero hissed, and Heero smirked. __//You will never be rid of me.//_

_You're right._ Heero said smugly. _I will never escape you… but I will always fight you Zero. And you will never win. Not again._

_//You can not refuse me for long.//_ Zero sneered, and the light attempted to surround him again. _//You need me!//_

_No,_ Heero countered. _I don't need you. You will never control me again because I don't need you anymore. His eyes softened as a delicate hand appeared through the light, and he grasped it, letting it pull him away from Zero's grasp. Relena smiled at him, and his heart soared. She was his salvation, she would always be his salvation. __Why would I need you when I have her? He asked, and for once, Zero did not have an answer. _

Author's Note: Thanks for your reviews guys. The epilogue will be out by the end of August, I promise. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And sorry for spelling your name wrong Rae! Forgive me? :p


	16. The Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Deceptions Epilogue: The Beginning

By Symee-Sama

Author's Note: Thanks for everyone's kind comments. You inspired me to get off of my lazy butt, and post this before the end of August. This is the last part to Deceptions, and I hope that the ending isn't 'crappy'. I've read my share of bad endings too, and I hope that this isn't one of them. 

Heero gave a rare smile as he walked out of the prison that had been his home for ten years. Only ten years, but the world had changed. He was twenty-eight now, and there was no longer any need for him as a soldier. He needed to do this. To leave the life of violence and bloodshed behind him. Duo had been the one to suggest it, and Relena had agreed with it wholeheartedly.

_Those two…_ He resisted the urge to smile. Without them he wouldn't have made it through the ten years. He would have gone insane before half his sentence was finished, but they had helped him. They had visited him every single week, and told him about what was happening in the outside world. Relena had told him about the current stability in the world, and Duo had spent most of his visits bragging and telling stories about his two daughters. 

Heero would've liked to be as blessed as Duo was one day, but he couldn't do that here. He couldn't do it in a place where people looked at him as if he were going to go on a rampage at any second. He needed to find a new home, a new life, where he wouldn't be judged for the deeds of his past.

They had done that for him. Duo and Relena had found a small house in Hiroshima, bought it with Relena's money, and then gave him enough money to set up a business there. He wasn't sure what he was going to go into yet, but he knew that it would have nothing to do with soldiering. As he said before, there was no need for soldiers anymore. Thanks to her.

_Relena…_ He thought with regret. He wouldn't see her after this. That was part of the agreement. They would separate and move on with their lives. She would find someone better than him that she could spend her life with, and he… he would never forget her. 

He had said goodbye to Duo last night, not even attempting to break the bone-crushing embrace that the braided man pulled him into. "Take good care of Hilde and the kids." He had said to his best friend. "Good luck in life."

"You too, buddy." Duo had returned. "We're gonna miss you." Heero had watched him go without saying anything else, but later, what Duo had said returned to him. _We're gonna miss you. And he realised that he was going to miss them too. All of them._

It had taken ten years, but he had finally earned back his friends' trust. He had never expected them to forgive him, and they hadn't. Not exactly. He didn't think that they would ever forgive or forget what he had done to them under the influence of the Zero system, but that was fine with him. He didn't want them to forgive him for that. 

He wanted them to put it behind them, but he realised that they could never truly forget it. You could see it when they had visited him. When they had come to say goodbye. There had been a dark cloud hanging over each and every one of them, and he had known that they were thinking of his past deeds as they wished him well.

They would always be like that, and that was why he couldn't stay. He couldn't survive with the tentative trust that they could offer him. He needed something more, and he knew that he had no right to ask it from them, so he was leaving. Starting again without any comrades in arms, without any people who had known him as the Perfect Soldier, and Heero Yuy, without her…

_Relena. _His chest tightened at the thought. What would it be like to live without her? To be able to see her when she made speeches to the people, but to never hear her laugh again? He would miss her more than anything, and that nearly overshadowed the prospect of being allowed to start over.

He was surprised when she met him in the parking lot of the prison, and the ache in his heart intensified as he stared at her, memorizing her features. "Relena." He said in way of greeting.

"Hello Heero," she said in her composed manner. "I just wanted to say goodbye. I will miss you." He opened his mouth to tell her how he felt, but then closed it again. If he told her how he still felt about her, it would ruin everything that he was leaving. If he told her how he felt and then left, it would hurt her. He couldn't do that to her. Not after all that she had done for him, and not after all that he had done to her. He had hurt her enough.

"Pagan will take you to the airport." Relena said in a business-like tone, not noticing his hesitation, and he walked past her, opening the car door. "Be careful, Heero."

Her words hit him like a tidal wave, transporting him back twelve years to when he had saved her from Whitefang and they had said goodbye in the hangar. "You don't have to worry about me." He said gruffly, mimicking his past words. It seemed fitting that they would say goodbye like this. They would forget about their love and each other in the same manner that they realised it, so many years ago. 

"You're a strong person." Relena said softly, fully understanding the symbolism of their conversation. "But don't ask me not to worry for you." She smiled sadly. "Because I want to."

"Relena." Heero said in the same tone that she had, and he resisted the urge to reach for her. "Goodbye…" He turned away from her, and got into the car. Not looking back as it pulled out of the parking lot, and headed towards the airport. Headed towards his new life. 

Relena watched his car until it became a tiny speck on the horizon before she was able to speak. Her heart was breaking, but she would make it through this. A tear slid down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away. He wouldn't have wanted her to cry over him. 

She wanted to cry though. She had never gotten a chance to tell him. To tell him that she had forgiven him, and that she loved him still. Even after ten years, she still loved him. Another thought came to her, doubling her sorrow. She had never said goodbye…

Relena steeled herself and got into her own car, pulling out of the parking lot and driving the opposite way that Heero had. She needed some time by herself to think, but as soon as she stepped into her office, she was bombarded with paperwork, and meetings, not getting a moment to herself until she left for home. 

She dismissed Pagan, and the other servants, telling them that she needed some time. They had all understood. They had all known how she felt about Heero. Finally alone, away from the sympathetic looks and the pleas for help, she sat out on her balcony and watched the night sky, thinking about Heero and the life that he had left behind. 

_I hope that you are happy with your new life. _ She prayed that her thoughts would reach him somehow, so she could let him know how she felt about him. _I love you, Heero Yuy, and I always will._ She paused for a moment to gather her composure. It was silly that she still had trouble saying it, even in her head. _I love you Heero Yuy. She thought again, and smiled as a shooting star blazed across the sky. _

_Goodbye._

* * * * *

Heero sat at the airport, looking out the window at the starry night sky. He would miss her so much. A shooting star crossed the black expanse, and he smiled, pressing his hand against the glass before he turned away from the window, and boarded his flight. Somehow he knew that everything was going to be alright.

Author's Note: I am really sad to see this story go. I hope that it met all of your expectations, and hopefully, in some areas, exceeded them. My brother wants me to write a sequel where Heero and Relena are together, but at the moment, that doesn't seem likely. I think it's more realistic with them apart for this fic. Again, I hope that you enjoyed it, and thank you so much for your support. 


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